When Souls Ignite
by RDoster2012
Summary: After Edward leaves in New Moon, Bella encounters a new vampire who sends her back in time to meet a human Edward.
1. Chapter 1

~When Souls Ignite~

Disclaimer, Authors Note, Summary, and Prologue

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. This storyline however belongs to me!

**A/N**

To any and all die hard canon fans, this story will deviate from the cannon timeline, things will happen, and I am just using my creative license with it. If you are hard pressed to remain in canon, this story is not for you!

With that being said, this story will eventually come full circle so to speak. We will start in 2005-6 during New Moon, and then come back through the years, back to the starting point, then possibly beyond that. I have not decided on an end yet.

I have read many Twilight stories where Bella goes back in time to meet a human Edward. But what I have not found is where Bella gets changed at the same time as Edward and then travels back through time with them, using her knowledge to help change some things with in the family.

I know that during New Moon Bella has very limited knowledge about each family member, so for the sake of creative license we are going to assume she knows more.

So come on an epic journey with Bella and me as she travels back in time to meet a human Edward and then walks back through time as a vampire. This is going to be a slow burning story, with many chapters and we will see quite a few different POV's!

**SUMMARY**

After Edward leaves in New Moon, Bella is left with her grief. A new vampire in town sends her back in time, to 1918. She meets human Edward, and they fall in love and get married. With her knowledge of future events she seeks out Carlisle, and befriends him. After a time she tells Carlisle of the life he will lead. Everything is set in motion, and when the Spanish Influenza strikes Carlisle is prepared to do what he must. Bella changed along with Edward, guides them through the years, changing certain events.

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

~Prologue~

To me, it felt like coming home, I knew this was new to my family, but I was here before. I smiled as everything around me turned wet and green, and I still remembered the first time I made this trip. It really was a long time ago, yet it didn't quite happen yet either. I knew this time around things would be different, and I probably would not see the familiar faces I once knew. But yet, I wondered, would things be the same as it was when my human self came to live in this town?

I smiled as Edward turned the car onto the familiar driveway in the middle of the woods, easily cutting through the brush that would lead to the house in the clearing. When I looked over at him he was smiling at the windshield.

"You look so happy Edward. What has you smiling so much?" I asked, and his smile got bigger.

"You, my love. I can see the excitement in your eyes, and I hope being back here will be everything you hope it will be." I smiled wider in return, but the worry was still there.

We rounded the next bend and the underbrush cleared, and standing in the middle of the clearing, with the six large cedars surrounding it was the house that I knew and loved. It was exactly the same as I remembered. Victorian, white, and three-stories tall, through the front windows I could see the glass wall on the backside of the house. I could hear the river flowing out back and smell the forest all round. It was real, and I was home.

Standing on the porch was Carlisle and Esme, with another, whose back was turned to us. He turned and I gasped. Edward, of course thought I was in danger, and hissed out. I grabbed his hand and smiled at him and he relaxed, only slightly.

"It's okay Edward. Just park the car." I kept my tone light and as soon as the car stopped, I was out of car and leaped right onto the porch next to him.

"Ciaran! I can't believe you're here! It has been so long!" I probably looked like Alice, jumping around in my excitement.

"Hello Bella, it's nice to see you again." His Irish accent was just as thick as I remembered it.

"Why are you here? I didn't think I would ever see you again." I stopped dancing around, and the worry set back in again.

"Ah, do not fret young one, I just wanted to see you again, back at the beginning, I wanted to make sure your life is still as it was supposed to be."

"It is, I am very happy, tell me Ciaran, what will I expect now? Will things be as they were when I left?" I honestly think I get my curiosity from Carlisle.

"That I cannot tell you, you will have to see for yourself. I do not have the power of the future, just the past. But I cannot linger here I must go. Live and be happy Bella."

"Thank you Ciaran, best of luck to you." I gave him a nod and watched as he headed down the stairs.

As Ciaran walked down the driveway I noticed that he started to shimmer and fade out of focus. Then, in a blink of an eye he was gone. I knew then, as I remained standing there with my family that everything would be all right, and I was ready to continue on with life…


	2. 2005

Hello to all! It's been a while, I know. But let's get this party started shall we?

Are you ready to go on a fourteen-week adventure with me? This story is COMPLETE, but I will only post a chapter every week! I will post a chapter every Friday, so you will have time over the weekend to read it!

This story begins during the 'missing' chapters in New Moon, where Bella's mother comes to try and convince her to go back to Florida with her. Don't worry; we won't be dwelling on Bella's 'zombie' state for long.

You may notice that most of my stories are missing from my profile; I decided to take them all down for maintenance. I will eventually repost them completely redone and better then they were. So in the mean time please enjoy this story, and my rewrite of Nights Of Twilight

Let's get to it! Happy Reading!

~When Souls Ignite~

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

2005:

The sound of the front door opening and closing again did not startle me. I was too lost in all the memories of Edward and that fateful day. Then I heard my mother's voice coming from downstairs.

"Charlie! What is going on?" She screeched out.

"I'm not sure, Renee. She won't come out of her room unless it's time for school." I wasn't expecting to hear my father's voice; he was usually so soft spoken at home.

"Well, why haven't you called me before now?" She demanded. Her voice was getting louder with each sentence.

"It didn't seem necessary until now. I figured she would have come out of it by now. Clearly I was wrong."

"Where is she, Charlie?"

I tuned out their conversation after that. I wasn't interested in listening anymore, and the pain was sucking me back into my mind, where I have been living for the past two months, though it has felt like a century

I was brought out of the memories by the creaking of my door being opened. I heard light footsteps walk across the floorboards, and I inwardly groaned. I knew she wanted to talk to me, but I wasn't interested in listening to what she had to say. The only person I wanted to talk to was _him,_ but I knew I didn't have a chance in hell of ever seeing him again.

"Bella! Are you listening? Bella…"

I heard her voice but I really couldn't concentrate on it, the sight of him blurred my eyes, my ears were filled with the sound of his voice, and I just couldn't escape the scene of him leaving me. It played through my mind in a never-ending loop.

I knew I shouldn't dwell on the breakup, that I should move on, but something inside kept me stuck here, in this place.

The gaping hole in my chest would not let me forget him.

" _It will be as if I never existed."_ Those words were the lie he told me. I wasn't stupid. I knew he existed; the pain reminded me of that every minute.

" _I don't want you."_ Another lie. I knew he loved me just as much as I loved him. It wasn't a fickle love; it was strong and unbreakable.

My mothers voice continued to drone on and on, and I just couldn't focus on her. I was stuck in this loop. Then all of a sudden I had the biggest epiphany; it didn't matter what he said at that moment, I knew our love was unbreakable. I needed to do something; I just needed to figure out what it was I needed to do. I didn't think I'd be able to find him, even if I scoured the earth for a thousand years. But there had to be some way to figure it out.

"Bella, that's it! I'm packing your bags, and you're coming back to Florida with me. This place is no good for you!"

My moms voice finally registered, and my eyes focused on her. I watched as she whipped my suitcase out from under my bed and threw it on my mattress. She began to haphazardly throw the contents of my dresser into it.

As she began to take my clothes out of my closet and place them on my bed, I finally realized that she was serious. I wouldn't put it past her to drag me out of this house, and I would need to think fast. I knew I couldn't leave Forks. I had work to do.

I slid off the bed while she was in the closet, and started putting my things back in the dresser. When she came back out with the next load of clothes to dump on my bed, she stopped in her tracks and watched me for a few minutes. She set the clothes down and approached me slowly.

"Bella? What are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm putting my things away; I don't know why you made such a mess. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

"Of course you are! I am taking you back to Florida with me. I'm not going to let you sit here like this anymore. You need to get over this and get on with your life!"

' _Get over this… move on with my life? How am I supposed to do that with out Edward in it? Why did no one understand!'_

As she was talking, I reached down to pick up a pair of pants to put back in the drawer, and she grabbed my arm to stop me. That's when I lost it. I wrenched my arm out of her grasp and slapped her hard across the face.

"I said I wasn't going anywhere! Get the hell out of my room! Go back to Florida with your husband and leave me the hell alone! I can't even stand to look at you right now! How DARE you tell me what I need when I've been taking care of you since I was a child!" In my rage, I sent the suitcase flying into the window, where it went right through and out onto the ground.

The next thing I knew, Charlie was standing in my doorway, and I was staring at the broken window with horror.

"What the hell is going on in here?" He demanded loudly.

I turned to face him and noticed my mom standing there with her hand cupped over her cheek where I slapped her, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Did you call her and tell her to come here to take me away, Charlie? I'm sorry I'm not the perfect daughter and you don't want me either, but I am not leaving Forks! If you don't want me here, then I will go stay somewhere else. I'm eighteen now; I don't need to live here!"

"No, Bella, I called her to come here and talk to you. I didn't ask her to take you away; I just want to help you. Please understand. I love you, and I can't stand to see you hurting like this. I just want you to get your life back, get out of the house, and start living again."

I deflated quickly after his speech; what the hell was I doing? I knew one thing for sure; I needed to get in contact with Alice. Maybe if I went to their house, I could get her to have a vision of me, and she would call me.

"I'm sorry for the window dad, I'll pay for it. But right now, I have somewhere to be… I'll be back later." I didn't wait for anyone to say anything. I threw on my shoes, grabbed my cell phone, and ran down the stairs, tripping on the bottom step like always. I didn't even know what clothes I was wearing I just had to go.

My keys were hanging in the usual spot, and I was surprised that my truck started right up without any issues. How long was I under? I didn't know what day, or even month it was. I decided I would get those answers later. I pulled away from the curb and headed towards the highway.

The drive was automatic. I didn't even need to think about where the entrance was as I turned and made the three-mile drive up the dirt path. My breath caught as the trees opened up and the house came into view; it was like coming home. Even though this was never my actual home, my heart lived here and would remain missing until I found Edward again.

I pulled up to the front of the house and shut my truck off, but couldn't bring myself to get out. The memories were flooding me, hitting me like a giant wave while the crushing weight held me there. I didn't know how to breathe anymore.

I didn't know how long I sat there, whether minutes, hours, or days, but finally the memories started to recede. I was able to take shallow breaths again and decided to get out of the truck.

The house was dark and seemed unwelcoming, so I walked to the top of the stairs and just sat on the porch. I also didn't think Charlie or Renee would come looking for me, not after my outburst. Now, what would grab Alice's attention? It would have to be something drastic enough that would make her pause.

I could go to the gas station and get some gas to burn the house down… no, that wouldn't matter to them, they have the means to just rebuild without a care… I could just drive my truck through the house… no, same thing, the damages wouldn't matter… hmm, drive my truck into the river… I don't think I want to welcome death, not today anyways…

I let my mind wander, but nothing seemed to be drastic or urgent enough for Alice to call me. My imagination was just not up to par. So I gave up and decided to see if the door was unlocked. I approached the door slowly. I was nervous, and it felt like I was trespassing. I pushed on; maybe Edward left something behind that I could hold on to.

The doorknob turned with ease, and the door swung open silently just like it always did. The entrance was dark, but backlit by the light coming in from the glass window wall. I walked into the living room and found all the furniture covered in white sheets. There, pinned on the couch, was a folded piece of paper with my name on it. With shaking hands, I reached out, took the paper, and opened it. It was a letter.

 _Dear Bella,_

 _I knew you would come at some point, and don't worry, this was your home as much as it was ours. It is okay that you are here; I hope it helps you to feel close to us. I miss you already, even though I haven't left town yet. I'm really struggling to leave, and I can't believe that Edward is making us leave without saying goodbye._

 _I'm sure you have figured out that Edward lied to you with his exit speech, and that he loves you more then life itself. You are his mate; he can't stop loving you. That pain you feel? He feels it too; he's suffering as well. And I wish I knew how to get you back together again, but sadly he's too stubborn to break his vow to you, or to us. Maybe more like his pride and honor won't let him._

 _Always know that we all love you dearly, and I hope someday we will be together again in some way. Don't give up hope just yet, but in the mean time, try to push past the pain and live a little._

 _With all my love,_

 _Your sister,_

 _Alice._

Tears were streaming down my face, and a smile was on my lips. I should have known that Edward was the reason why Alice did not come to say goodbye. I don't think he realized how hurtful he was being, not only to me, but to his family as well.

I went back out to the porch, forgetting my mission to find something of Edward's. I began to contemplate how to find Alice and the others. There had to be a way. I sat on the porch rereading Alice's letter and listening to the birds chirping in the trees, when suddenly they stopped singing their songs. I shrugged it off as a bear or some other animal in the area, and just continued thinking of ways to find the Cullen's.

It wasn't until I heard the crunch of gravel that I looked up and was actually alarmed!

Leaning against the closest cedar trees under the shade was a person; he was male, and tall. His hair was a coppery red, and he had broad shoulders, but his waist seemed thin.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" I asked in a shaky voice. From this distance I didn't know if I was safe or not.

"Well, I am going to just say that I was in the area, and wanted to stop by and see who was home. It would appear that no one is." He had a thick Irish accent, and sounded unsure of himself. I knew then he was a vampire and was trying to hide the fact. I stood up abruptly and walked towards him. Maybe I did have a death wish after all.

"More like you smelled them, a lot of them, all in one place, and you were curious. Don't worry, they're long gone." I looked into his eyes now that I was close enough and let out a breath of relief when I noticed that he had golden eyes.

"You… you know about us?" He stammered out. I realized that he was nervous now, and I let out a low chuckle.

"Yes, I do. You see my mate lived here with his family. There was almost an accident, and he left, making his family leave with him. I came here today to find some answers but have been unsuccessful."

"Hmm… I see, tell me more about this lost love of yours." Was he serious? Why would he be interested in my story? But then again, why not? It's not like I could talk to my mom about it. Or even a friend from school.

"Well, I met him in school, and it didn't start off so great; he wanted to kill me. He told me my blood called to him more than anyone else's. He left for a week, and when he came back he decided to get to know me better, and we fell deeply in love. I'm sure you know about being mated, so we will skip over that. Well, on my eighteenth birthday, against my wishes they threw me a party, and well, I'm a klutz. I got a paper cut, and Jasper –my mate's brother- was really thirsty, and he lunged at me.

"Not to get side tracked, but he is an empath, and well, they may not realize this, but he feels everyone else's thirst, magnifying his. Because everyone was also thirsty, he just couldn't help himself. Edward –my mate- threw me to protect me and I landed on the glass table, shattering it, and the dishes as well. I was bleeding pretty badly, and well… everyone had to leave the house, everyone except their father, Carlisle. He's a doctor, so he cleaned up my wounds, and stitched me up.

"Over the next few days, Edward became very distant, and then all of a sudden he took me out to the woods and left me. And now I'm here and he's gone. I'm so lost without him; I can't breathe or think. The hole in my chest is just too large." I went silent after that, trying to keep the pain and the memories at bay.

"Wait, did you say Carlisle? As in Carlisle Cullen?" He seemed to be very excited about Carlisle, and it did make me a little nervous. What if he wasn't a good vampire? What if he wanted to find them and hurt them?

"Yes…" I said hesitantly. Oh god! What if he runs to the Volturi? I started to hyperventilate.

"It's okay, I met Carlisle a long time ago, back before he started to make his family. He doesn't know, but he's the reason why I hunt animals now. He really changed my life, and I would love to help make his family whole again." He was smiling now, no doubt thinking of a time long ago.

"My name is Ciaran, by the way, it has been a pleasure to meet you… "He paused, and it took me a few seconds to realize he didn't know my name either.

"I'm Bella, it's nice to meet you. Thank you for listening to me ramble on about all of this. I haven't been able to really talk to anyone… you know, humans and all." I shrugged at the end, I'm sure he would understand what I meant.

Ciaran looked at me, and had a speculative look on his face. The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever. Finally, he looked at me again and nodded, clearly making some kind of decision.

"Bella, I'm going to tell you something and offer you a great opportunity. If you choose to accept, we will have a lot of preparations to get through. If you choose not to accept… well… we will cross that bridge when we get there." I suddenly felt very threatened, and sat up straighter.

"Sounds intriguing." I smiled at him, and took a deep breath, waiting for this 'offer'.

"First, let me give you a little back history. I was changed way back in 1775 in Ireland. It was a time of peace, and I was a simple countryman, a farmer if you will. I was out in the field watching over the sheep and had fallen asleep. I remember feeling a presence, and the sheep were screaming because they too felt the presence of a predator. As I walked over the hill, I was slammed into the ground, and the next thing I knew, I was being burned alive. I woke three days later about 500 miles away from home, to this life.

"It took me years to realize I was blessed with a gift. I was ten years into this life, and wished to go home to see my wife and kids. I was thinking about the time when I got married, and then all of a sudden I was transported back to that time. I got to do it all over again. I spent the next fifty years in a loop, always ending at the same time, like that was the plan for me all along. Even when I realized I could also get myself back to the 'present' I would always wake up a vampire.

"I've always been a nomad, ever roaming, then I met Carlisle in 1900. We talked for a long time, and I learned about his lifestyle, which was very strange to me at the time. A year after we parted, I had decimated an entire family, including their newborn daughter, and it killed a part of me. All I could think about was losing my family when I was changed. I decided to run to the woods, where I planned on starving myself. The talk I had with Carlisle ran through my mind, so I decided to give this new way of hunting a try. Surprisingly, I found it very satisfying, and have since been on this diet."

He sucked in an unnecessary breath and looked at me. I didn't know what he was expecting to find, but it sure wasn't the compassion I had for him. His plight reminded me so much of Edward's 'rebellion years' that I couldn't help but have understanding for him.

"Bella, I feel for you, and I want to send you back in time where you can meet your human mate and fall in love. Of course there will be consequences. Any of your actions in the past it will change the course of the future. And if you ever wish to return to this time, you will have to find me." I was perplexed. Could this really be done? Could I go and fall in love with a human Edward? And what would happen when the influenza struck? Would we only get a short time together, just to die?

"Ciaran, I have so many questions before I can even begin to contemplate doing this. After we have discussed my questions, can I have time to think about it and to tie up loose ends? I have a feeling that if I decide to take you up on your offer, I won't be seeing my parents ever again, and I'd really like to have some closure." My heart was racing; whether in anticipation or trepidation I wasn't sure.

"Of course, I'd rather you be well informed and have the information you need. This is not something you should do lightly. I have only sent one person back to the past, and I never heard from them again. I hope they lived their life to the fullest and got everything they wanted from the experience. The same I would hope for you, should you wish to proceed."

"Edward was changed in 1918, during the Spanish Influenza epidemic. If I went back to that time, how would we survive it? I don't want to have just a short time with him." After I spoke it out loud, I realized that I already had my answer. Carlisle would be the key I would need to unlock.

"Never mind, I already know." I looked at him as excitement danced across my features.

"Well, that was an easy one… next?"

"Money? Would I be able to 'travel' with personal possessions?" His eyebrows creased together as he thought.

"I honestly don't know, but it wont hurt to try."

"Okay, I would really like to think about this a little more, can you give me until tomorrow? I will meet you here, in this spot tomorrow evening at seven?"

"Sure, please take your time. I will just try the hunting in this region."

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

I got home to find both Charlie and Renee pacing the floors; I didn't understand why. What was going on?

"Bella! Where have you been?" My mother shrieked at me.

"Mom, I went and cleared my head. What is your problem? Why are you pacing the floor?"

"We're going to miss our flight. We have to leave now and get to Port Angeles." Her voice was still shrill, and I couldn't believe that she was still expecting me to leave with her like I was a little girl who had no choice.

"Mom, I thought I had made myself clear earlier. I am not going to Florida with you. I am staying right here!" I spat out at her, the venom in my tone completely going over her head.

"You're obviously in a bad way Bella, and dare I say, too unstable to make a decision. As your mother I am _telling_ you that you are leaving with me." Her tone was condescending, and quite frankly it pissed me off.

"No! I said NO! Need I remind you, I am eighteen, and there isn't a damn thing you can do or say to make me leave against my will! I am _so sick_ of everyone taking my choices away from me! You will not be another to do so to me!" I was reaching my breaking point with her, and I didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to keep this boiling rage inside me.

"Bella…" I wasn't going to let her to continue the rebuttals; she's just making this decision easier for me by the second.

"No, no more, the time for talking is over. I have made my decision, and I am not going to change my mind. Now, get your bags, and get in the truck. I'm taking you to the airport so you don't miss your flight…" I left her there as I went upstairs to grab some money for gas, and something for dinner. I knew I was going to have to have a difficult conversation with Charlie when I got home.

When I got back downstairs Renee was outside with her bags in the back of the truck, and Charlie was standing at the kitchen window.

"I love you, dad. I'll be back shortly, and we'll talk, okay?

"Love you too Bells, be safe. And by the way, I'm proud of you for standing up to her." He went silent after that, and I took that as a dismissal.

I silently got in the truck, started it up, and pulled away from the curb. Port Angeles was a forty-five-minute trip due to the fact that this truck wouldn't drive faster than fifty-five. I wondered how long it would take for Renee to break the silence.

Surprisingly, she lasted the whole trip. I parked the truck and contemplated just letting her get out without saying a word; I unbuckled and got out with a sigh. She was surprised too when I fell into step beside her. She smiled and reached for my arm, but I frowned and shrugged her off.

We reached her gate, and there was still an hour wait before her flight began to board. So now I was stuck with her for a whole hour.

After about fifteen minutes of sitting there silently, she finally sighed.

"Bella, I love you, and I really only want what's best for you, I just wish you would reconsider coming with me. Life would be good in the sunshine; you know you miss it."

I sighed in return. "Mom, seriously, I'm not interested in going to Florida. Sure, I miss the sun sometimes, but I really like it here. I've made some great friends, and I don't want to leave. I love you too, but you have really upset me today; I wont forget that for a while." It was probably too harsh for her, or for anyone within hearing range, but when will she stop viewing me as a little girl?

The rest of the wait was silent, and when they finally called for her flight to board, I stood with her and gave her a tight hug.

"I love you, mom, and I'm going to miss you." It was the best I could do, given the circumstances of the day and both our actions. When she sniffled into my hair I regretted that this was ending on such a sour note, but it was for the best. Letting go would be much easier for me with this on my mind.

I watched her board her plane through the viewing window, and I waved when she turned. I could see the sadness in her demeanor, no doubt she was crying, but I knew I couldn't dwell on it. Talking to Charlie was going to be even harder.

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

The ride home was filled with trepidation; Charlie was going to flip his lid. I had been practicing my speech the whole way home. When I pulled up to the curb and turned the engine off, I took two deep breaths to steady myself.

' _Come on Bella, you can do this. Be brave! It's either this half life or the chance to be with Edward again.'_

I knew I would always choose Edward; there would never be anything that would make me choose different. I squared my shoulders and got out of the truck.

Charlie was in his recliner watching a football game when I entered the house. As soon as I walked into the living room, he shut the TV off. He must have a lot to say because he would normally just mute the TV. I sat down on the couch and waited for him to begin. It didn't take long.

"Bella, I just wanted to say again, that I am proud of you for standing up to your mother. I'm sorry she did that to you. It wasn't my intention for her to come here and try to take you away." I think that may have been his longest speech to date. He was always a silent man.

"Thanks, dad. I really didn't want to leave with her. This is going to be hard, and I just hope you will understand." My hands were shaking, and I could feel tightness in my throat. I knew by the end of the night I was going to be in tears.

"What do I need to understand Bella? What is going on?" I took a steadying breath; it was now or never.

"Well, I've decided that I need to leave. I need to figure some things out, and I can't do that here. I just need space to clear my head. All of this stuff about Edward has been silently killing me, and I just need to find a way to let it all go." I let it out in a rush, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

"Wait, what?! You've spent two months being locked away, going through the motions of life without even living, and now all of a sudden you 'wake up' and want to just leave? I don't think that is a good idea. I can't let you go like that."

I knew this was going to be difficult, and I knew he wasn't just going to let me go like that. And he was right; I have been locked away inside myself for a long time.

"Dad, I understand your concern, but I really just need some time. I know my behavior lately has been less then stellar, and for that I am sorry. You also know that I am more mature than others my age. I'm not making this decision lightly; I have thought this through. I also have enough money saved up to get me through." One tear slid down my cheek out of desperation to have Charlie let me go.

"What about school, Bella? You'll be graduating in just a few months; can't you wait until after that to take your… whatever you want to call it?" Oh! I did not see this coming, and actually didn't think about it, because after tomorrow, it won't matter.

 _Think fast. I should have all the answers!_

"I'll call the school tomorrow morning and see if I can pick up my assignments for while I am gone, that way I don't fall behind." I hoped that would appease him, and I held my breath.

"That sounds fair to me. I'm not happy about this Bella, and I'm reluctant to even consider letting you go. But in all honesty, the way you stood up to your mother today and fought for yourself is keeping me from throwing you into a jail cell just to keep you here." His words left his mouth on a defeated sigh. And I knew then, that Charlie loved me more than I loved him, and it broke my heart just a little bit. But I needed to do what makes me happy for once in my life.

Charlie looked at me for a while with red-rimmed eyes, and I could see that he clearly was having a hard time. He swallowed a few times and tried to smile. Without a word he stood up and went straight to the stairs. I heard the click of his bedroom door, and then it was silent. My tears came then, and I cried for the loss of my father. We may not have always had a great relationship, but it was still hard to let go.

I spent an hour on the couch remembering all the times when I was little and I would come visit, and how ungrateful I was because I didn't want to go fishing or hang out at the police station. I lost so many years with him, and now… now I was going to never get them back.

Looking around I knew I wanted to clean the house for him before I left. So I got up and began all the quite cleaning I could do while he was sleeping.

At four in the morning I finally decided to go to bed for a few hours, I was going to have to go to school in the morning and take care of the things I promised Charlie. I set the alarm and got under the covers.

When I woke, the excitement crept over me again, bit now it had a tinge of sadness mixed in. I was just going to have to suck it down and deal with it. I grabbed my clothes and toiletry bag and headed to the shower. I was going to have hurry this morning; I was late, but it was on purpose. I wanted to get to the school after first hour already started so I would miss the other students.

I parked my truck near the office, no point in parking in the student lot, and went into the building. Mrs. Cope was at her desk, like always. When the door shut, she looked up and her eyes widened.

"Bella? Is everything all right?" She sounded shocked to see me late to school.

"Oh yes, things couldn't be better actually. I was hoping I could get my teachers to round up my assignments for the next few weeks? I need to leave school for some personal matters, but I don't want to fall behind. I can come back this afternoon to pick them up." The look of confusion on her face was almost comical.

"Oh, I don't know if we can do that. Have you talked to the school counselor? You may want to do that." What? Was she serious?

"No, I don't think I need to talk to anyone. Please see what can be done, and I will come back this afternoon and check in. I need to prepare for my trip." I stated sternly. I was not about to justify my actions to anyone, let alone a school counselor.

"Bella, I really think…"

"No! Please stop and just honor my request. Thank you." With that, I turned and walked away.

I figured while I was out, I would stop at the store and pick up some things to cook for dinner. Charlie's favorite meal was beef stroganoff, and I knew my grandmother's recipe by heart.

Thankfully I was able to get in and out of the store without any fanfare. The whole time, I was hoping to not run into anyone who would have any more questions. Apparently I just couldn't catch a break. I guess I could understand; I've basically been a 'zombie' for two months, and now… I seem just fine, if not just a bit erratic. Still, the nosiness of some people knew no bounds. I just wish everyone would leave me the hell alone!

I went home, put away everything from the store, and finished up the housework to kill time before going back to the school. While the last load of laundry was in the dryer, I headed back to the school to see if they were able to get my assignments.

Thankfully the school was quiet and the office was empty, except for Mrs. Cope of course. She looked up expectantly as I entered, then frowned in my direction.

"Good afternoon, Bella. I don't have any assignments for you. Mr. Greene declined your request since you refused to meet with the school counselor. I'm very sorry. He said to inform you that if you still want them, just set up the meeting."

"That's okay, thank you Mrs. Cope. I will return in a few weeks. If you have any questions you're welcome to contact my dad." I turned and went back out. At least I tried, for Charlie's sake.

I got back home empty handed and started working on the dinner for Charlie. While the beef stewed to get tender, I folded all the laundry and put it away. I knew Charlie would come straight home after his shift, especially after last night. I don't think this dinner will be enough to prepare him for the fact that I am leaving tonight.

Once I got the sauce prepared, the beef cooking in it, and the water for the noodles on to boil, I went upstairs to pack my bag. I hoped I'd be able to carry these things with me. I threw in a few of my favorite books, the money I have saved up, and some undergarments. I knew the clothes I wear now, would not be appropriate attire for the time I am traveling to.

I set my bags downstairs by the front door, and went and finished dinner. I was hoping to have it finished just as Charlie walked in the door at five-thirty.

I had just finished washing up some of the dishes, so I wouldn't have many to do after dinner when I heard the cruiser pull into the driveway.

"Bella? Are you here?" Charlie called out as he slammed the front door.

"In the kitchen dad." Where else would I be at this tine of day?

"Something sure smells good. What did you make?" Why was he so interested in what I made? He never usually tried to make much conversation.

"Grandma Swan's beef stroganoff."

"Mmm… that's my favorite." Yes, Charlie, I know. That's why I made it.

We ate in silence after that. Which was the normal for us. When I got up to clear the table, he began.

"I noticed that you have your bags packed. Are you leaving today?" He didn't sound upset, just curious, which surprised me.

"Yeah dad, I am. I need to do it now. I really think it will be beneficial to my mental health, just like you and your fishing."

"What time were you leaving? Billy and Jacob are coming over at seven to watch the game." Oh? Well… nope, I can't hold it off.

"I'm sorry dad, I'm actually heading out just after I wash these dishes up." I said it reluctantly, even though I was really getting excited.

"Can you tell me where you are going? I just want to make sure you are safe." There's the concerned cop I've been waiting for.

"I honestly don't know… I'm just going to drive for a while I think; I need some distance. But when I find a place, I'll give you a call. I promise."

I drained and rinsed the sink out, and turned around. He was still standing there, I'm not really sure what he was waiting for, but I walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"I'll miss you dad, I'll be gone three weeks tops, and you wont have time to miss me. And I promise, if I get into any kind of trouble, I'll call you."

"Love you Bella." His voice cracked and tears threatened to fall. I knew it was time, and I also knew I would never see him again.

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

I arrived at the Cullen's house at six thirty. I was early, and Ciaran was not there. If there was one thing I learned about vampires, it was the fact that they were always on time, never late, and never early. I decided I would sit on the porch and just wait for him.

At exactly seven, Ciaran walked out of the trees, right where I found him yesterday.

"Hello Bella, I was hoping you would decide to take me up on my offer. At least, I hope that is why you are here."

"Yes, I am here to take you up on the offer. I'm excited, but also very nervous. So tell me, what do I need to know." I steeled my nerves, and expectantly looked at him.

"Well, what do you know about the Great War or World War One?" Oh my! History was never my strong suit.

"Well, I know it lasted from 1914 through 1918. And it was a time of sacrifice, many were poor, and the food was scarce. But not much else."

"You're right about that. You also have to understand that times were drastically different then, and women were expected to behave a certain way. You should probably spend a day or two observing the people around you to get a feel for their day-to-day lives, and try to mimic them to the best of your ability. You will need a cover story. I'm guessing here and am going to say that you're about eighteen, so you should still be living with your parents, preparing for your marriage. If you don't have any money with you, I would suggest you quickly find a job. And I think that is about it.

"Oh wait! If you need housing, you will find many boarding houses, kinda like a bed and breakfast, I suppose."

"Ok, so cover story, I could say I was from New York, and my parents died, so I was traveling to resettle somewhere, and Chicago seemed like a place of opportunity. As for money, I have a little I am taking with me; I'm hoping it will get me through for a while. I read a book once about women in that time period so I have a good idea what to expect, but I will also do some people watching and get a better idea."

"Sounds like we have almost everything covered. Please wait here just a moment." He was gone in an instant, but back just as quickly.

"I did a little experiment last night after hunting, and learned that personal items can 'travel'. I was concerned about your clothes, and knew you wouldn't have the proper attire, so I went back and bought you a few items."

I glanced behind him and sitting on the ground was a large travel trunk. It was beautiful. The wood was dark cherry, with black straps, and embossed in silver.

"Now, please don't be embarrassed, but I got you everything from undergarments to overcoats. You have three complete outfits here. Well four, since you will need proper traveling clothes."

He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a neatly stacked pile.

"Here, if you're ready, go change and meet me back out here." I blew out a breath, and gingerly took the stack of clothes out of his outstretched hands and went into the house.

The clothes were in order on how to put them on. Thankfully I remembered from that book I read.

Once I got the undergarments on, and thankfully there was no corset, I slipped the silky dress over my head. I was amazed how well it fit. It wasn't very form fitting, though that was the way it was supposed to be. The dress was a pale lavender, with white accents… a perfect day dress. I rolled the knee-high socks over my feet and put the shoes on; they were more like boots in today's time. The buttons were horrendous. Why did there need to be so many? I found the hair clip next and knew I would need to put it back and roll it into a coif, much like a French twist, which I managed with some difficulty. I looked at the hat and decided I would take it outside with me; I didn't think it was necessary. The coat was last, it was also light lavender, and came almost down to my ankles.

I stepped back out on the porch and was met with Ciaran's wide, shocked eyes.

"If you weren't already in love with someone, I would travel with you and try to claim you as mine. You will be one of the most beautiful women of that time. Do try to not draw too much attention to yourself, otherwise Edward will be in for a fight with other suitors." Was he serious? Plain ole me? I'd beg to differ, but I didn't have the energy.

"Thanks Ciaran, I will keep that in mind. I guess I'm ready now, better do it before I throw up from all these frayed nerves." I was feeling a bit queasy, and I didn't want to lose my dinner.

"Okay Bella, listen carefully, I'm sending you to the year 1917, it will still be the same month and day as today. You will 'land' in Washington Park, hopefully within the trees. There will be a boarding house on the east side of the park, two blocks over. Go there, the house is beautiful and the rent will be cheap, and there is a sign outside saying 'boarding house'."

This was really happening, and now I was worried that perhaps I wouldn't be beautiful enough to catch Edward's attention without the singer call of my blood.

"Ciaran, could you help me repack my bags into the travel trunk? There are some things I want to take with me." He walked over to the truck and pulled my backpack out, carefully emptying the contents into the travel trunk.

"Bella, this is important, make sure you have a firm grip onto your trunk and empty your mind. Take a deep breath and close your eyes when you are ready. You will feel my touch on your forehead, and then it will feel like you are falling. Do not panic. When you feel your feet firmly on the ground, open your eyes slowly. You may be a little disoriented and feel faint. I don't have the ability to pinpoint the time of day, just the date. I am unsure of the weather on this day, so be careful, it will be cold."

I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, gripped my trunk as tight as I could, and closed my eyes. After a few moments I felt Ciaran's cold touch lightly press on my forehead, and then… then I was falling…

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

 **Alice's POV:**

It has been two months since our departure from Forks, and everyone was so sad. The house was always so somber and quiet. Not even Emmett was joking around and being loud. Not only did we lose Bella, Edward left us as well. He was somewhere in South America, sulking in an abandoned building. I was so mad at him that I couldn't even be bothered to show real concern. I did check on him once a week, but he was always in the same place. I did notice his eyes getting darker every time, but again, I will just let him wallow.

Bella on the other hand was not doing well at all. I knew I promised Edward I wouldn't interfere with her life, but she's supposed to be my sister; and I wasn't able to just forget about her.

For some reason, every time I checked in on her, I could see her, but could not hear any sound in the vision. I could see the movement of their lips, but that was it.

It was early in the day when I got a vision of Bella. Usually I had to go to her, but this time it came to me. She must be actively making a decision. I sat back to watch, and I was surprised.

 _Her mother was flying through her room throwing things into a suitcase. Bella stood up after a while and started putting her things away, and then there seemed to be shouting. I watched in fascination as Bella slapped her mother across the face._ I let out a gasp at the look of anger on Bella's face.At my gasp, Jasper flew to my side, but I held up a hand to silence him so I could continue watching.

 _She left the house, and surprisingly, went to our old home. She sat outside for a while, and I was slammed with visions of her doing damage to the house. She kept changing her mind, and then she got up and went inside. I almost called her, but since she stopped thinking about the damage, it wasn't necessary._

 _A smile graced my face as I watched her read the note I left for her. I saw her tears, and I hoped that she was happy I had thought to leave the note for her. She went back outside and was sitting there reading the note, when all of a sudden a vampire entered the yard and was watched her with surprise and curiosity. I panned my vision to see him more clearly and noticed he had gold eyes, but that didn't mean anything._

 _Bella looked up and was startled. She was having a conversation with him, and she clearly relaxed, which calmed me down as well. After a while she left, and the vision went out._

Jasper was looking at me expectantly, so I recanted the vision. He smiled, though he did seem concerned about the unknown vampire talking to Bella. I wasn't worried though. If he let her go, then I didn't think there was any danger.

When the rest of the family came home, I gave them the unchanging update on Edward, and then told them about the vision I had concerning Bella. Emmett became more animated, and Esme was on the verge of tears. Carlisle also seemed concerned for her, and Rosalie was still indifferent. She was still upset with Bella for being the 'cause' off all our discord and the reason we had to move away.

I finally had enough of all the analyzing in the living room; I went upstairs and started working on a drawing. It was a beautiful light lavender gown, from the 1900's. I wasn't sure why this dress came to me, but it was very beautiful.

When I was finished, I took it to show Esme. She agreed that is was beautiful, but was also dumbfounded on why I would have a vision of this dress.

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

I was out in the woods with Jasper finishing our hunting trip, before school resumed. It was getting rather late, and we were heading back home when I felt a sharp pain in my temple. The world started to go blurry. I've never had a vision like this before.

"Jasper, help me over to that rock. This vision is coming in hard, and I don't know what it means." He seemed as panicked as I was at the moment, but carried me over to the large rock and sat me down in his lap, while he rubbed my head. The pain was so intense I had to close my eyes.

 _Bella was sitting on the porch of our home again, watching the woods. She wasn't sitting there long when the unknown vampire showed back up. She stood up and smiled at him, and they talked for a few minutes. Then he ran off into the woods and instantly came back with a large travel trunk. Bella looked at it with surprise and he opened it and took out a stack of fabric. She took it from him and went into the house._

 _A little while later she came back out, wearing the dress I had drawn the night before._

Wait? What was going on here?

 _She was absolutely stunning in the dress, and looked like a high-class lady from the 1900's._

 _The vampire seemed to be giving her some form of instruction his facial expression was serious. She asked him something, and he darted over to her truck and got a bag, dumping it into the chest. He carefully closed it before he spoke. Bella nodded, then held onto the chest and closed her eyes. He sucked in a large breath and touched Bella's forehead. All of a sudden she started to shimmer, then she was gone._

 _He stood there for a few moments and was then gone as well, almost as if he was a ghost._

I opened my eyes and screamed. I went to turn to Jasper, but I was alone on the rock. Scanning the tree line for him, I noticed that everything seemed to be disappearing around me. Then everything just faded away. I looked down and noticed that I too was fading. I screamed in terror again, and everything went black, and I was falling…

~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~

I would like to give a huge shout out to nicoleXben for being my beta on this chapter, and hopefully for the rest of this story!

Leave me your thoughts; I would love to hear what you think!


	3. Bella 1917

I wanted to give you this chapter as well so I could clear up the Author note from chapter 1. This story is NOT complete; in fact, I am currently working on chapter 6. I MAY give you chapter 3 in a week, because it is the second part of this chapter.

Thank you to nicoleXben for her Beta help! I really appreciate it!

I did as much research as I could for historically accurate descriptions, some things may not be quite right. Just a warning.

When Souls Ignite

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

 **Bella POV 1917:**

Just as I thought I was going to free-fall into the darkness forever, I felt my feet firmly on the ground again. It was immensely cold, and I could feel drops of snow hitting my nose. I opened my eyes slowly, cautious of the dizziness Ciaran warned me of. The ground was covered in white. The snow was absolutely beautiful, and it was the first time I had ever actually seen real snow.

I marveled at the snow falling from the sky until my hands went numb. The sky was getting dark when I finally decided to venture into the city and find the boarding house. After looking around to make sure no one was out here, I turned east and hoped it was the right way to the boarding house.

My dress made it difficult to struggle through the snow, and my trunk didn't have wheels. It was heavy and awkward to move the trunk, but I finally made it to the streets. Luckily, there were merely a few stragglers on the street, so I kept my head down against the wind and continued to pull my trunk.

Luck would have it that I was on the right street, and before long, I saw the sign for the boarding house. The snow was also starting to come down faster, so I was glad to arrive. I managed to get the trunk up onto the porch and knocked on the door.

After a few minutes, the door creaked opened, and a woman who looked just older than myself peered out.

"Can I help you?" She asked tentatively. She looked at me for a moment, and then past me to the road.

"Yes, I was wondering if you had a room for rent?" I looked into her eyes then, and she gasped.

"Oh my! Yes, please come in!" She opened the door wider, and I turned and grabbed my trunk, dragging it behind me into the house.

"Where is your driver? Did he leave you out here to fend for yourself? What company does he work for? We must file a complaint." My driver? I wasn't sure what she meant, after a few seconds it clicked though. Women were usually escorted in the dark. There was no need for any of this though. I wasn't escorted here in any way.

"Sorry, no driver, I walked here." I stuttered through my chattering teeth. Now that I was done exerting myself, the sweat on my body was cooling and making me rather cold.

"You must be freezing! Let me fetch my husband to take your trunk to a room, and you can come sit by the fire. We can talk a while and drink some tea." It took me a moment to remember what time period I was in.

"Please." I didn't really know the etiquette for such conversations. That was the best response I was going to be able to give.

She led me to what I assumed was the sitting room. "Please have a seat, and I will be right back with the tea." She returned a few minutes later with a tea tray. It was laden with cakes, cream, sugar, cups, and the teapot. She placed it on the table next to the chair I was in, and she sat in the chair on the other side.

"My name is Annabelle, and this is my mother's boarding house. She is away visiting a friend and asked if we would watch over it while she was gone. The rent is two dollars a week, all meals are included, and you are asked to help with tasks. These tasks could be either in the kitchen or in the garden."

"It's nice to meet you Annabelle. My name is Isabella. I have no problems with the rent, or with helping out."

"Good to know, rent is due on Friday. Now, let me show you around the house, then you may retire to your room for the night." I have a bedtime? What is this place? I'm going to need some help understanding this time period a little better.

Annabelle showed me around downstairs. We began in the parlor and then moved on to the living room. From there, I saw the kitchen and dining room before going down the hall to the downstairs bathroom. She then led me to the top of the stairs, where all the bedrooms were. They had six rooms total to rent out; my room was the first in the hall, and apparently the only room with an adjoining bathroom.

"We usually rent this room to married couples, but since you are our only guest right now, it's yours. Please feel free to take care of yourself, and I will see you in the morning. Breakfast is at seven sharp." With that she left me on my own, and I was able to really look at my room.

The walls were painted light beige, and the furniture was all dark cherry. The bed was a four-poster, with beautiful hand-carved head and footboards. Next to the bed, there was a nightstand with a domed clock. There was a vanity, a dresser, and a few chairs scattered around the room. On the wall near the window, there was a small writing desk equipped with a pen and stationary. The bathroom was small, but functional. It had a toilet, sink, and a claw foot tub, which looked very inviting at the moment. I thought about it, but decided a bath could wait.

I went back into the bedroom and opened my trunk. I didn't know what to do with my still damp clothes, but ultimately decided on hanging them on the towel bar in the bathroom. Rummaging through the drawers, I found something that looked like a nightgown. I put it on, and it was very long. How did women sleep in these things? I was so afraid that I was going to get tangled up during the night

I carefully settled into the bed, and it was surprisingly comfortable. I picked up my tattered copy of _'Wuthering Heights'_ and started to read.

The next thing I knew, it was morning. I was awake and ready to start exploring this 'new world'. I got dressed with the same routine as the day before. This dress was similar to the one I wore here, except it was blue and had lace over the skirt. This dress was blue with lace, and was the same length as the one I wore here.

After putting my hair into a braided bun, I concluded that my appearance was adequate I went downstairs. I found Annabelle in the kitchen kneading dough on the counter. Her apron was covered in flour, and she had some smeared on her forehead. I let out a giggle at her expense, and she looked up at me.

"Good morning, Isabella. Your dress is very pretty. If you are planning on helping me make breakfast for us, then please get an apron out of the cupboard."

"Ok, and please just call me Bella. I prefer that." I found the aprons and put one on, as I took my place next to her, waiting for instructions.

"If you wouldn't mind getting the biscuits rolled, cut, and into the oven, I can get started on the gravy." I would just have to pretend I knew what she meant by gravy.

I took her place at the counter and picked up the rolling pin. I knew how to do this task at least. I had a tray of biscuits ready for the oven in no time at all. She took the tray out of my hands and slid it into the oven.

"Bella, if you wouldn't mind setting the table? Three place settings please. Thomas should be getting back just in time to eat."

The dishes were all arranged in a beautiful hutch in the dining room, so it wasn't hard to find everything I needed for the table. I finished my task quickly and went back to the kitchen. Annabelle was pouring the contents of the pan into a large bowl. She also had a platter with eggs, bacon, and sausage.

"Bella, can you take the platter and the biscuits to the table? I'll bring the rest out." I picked them up silently and went back to the dining room. She came out right behind me. Just as I was about to ask if there was anything else, I heard the front door close.

A man I assumed was Thomas entered the dining room. He wasn't that tall, but he was muscular. He was blonde with pale blue eyes.

"Annabelle, breakfast smells wonderful… oh hello! I forgot we had a guest in the house. Excuse my manners. I'm Thomas, Annabelle's husband. It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice was soft, yet sharp at the same time.

"Pleasure to meet you as well. I'm Isabella, but please call me Bella." He nodded, but he didn't seem very interested in the houseguests.

Annabelle brought out a tray with drinks, which appeared to be coffee and tea. I took a seat at the table once Annabelle sat down, and I waited to see what they did before I touched anything. This isn't something you read about in books, and I wasn't sure what to do. I'm sure it wasn't odd for me to wait; I was the guest after all.

"Bella, please help yourself." Thomas said to me. I guess guests went first.

After making our plates and silently eating for a few minutes, I caught Annabelle's eye.

"Bella, I usually ask when guests walk in here about their story and what brought you here, but it was so late last night I didn't want to overwhelm you. So please, tell us where you come from and what brought you here." Oh no! I hope I can make this believable.

"Well, I'm eighteen. My parents died about a year ago, and I wound up selling the house and our land so I could travel west. I have been searching for a place to set down roots, and I came here. In my travels, I heard that Chicago was doing well, and I should visit. I am hopeful that I will find whatever it is that I am looking for here." I shrugged after that; I didn't really know what else to say.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents. You're eighteen? Didn't you leave behind a fiancé? Most girls your age are either already married, or engaged. Where did you live before?" What is with all these intrusive questions?

"Yes, eighteen. And I didn't have any suitors. None that were worthy anyways, nor did they catch my eye. I am from New York, in a small wealthy town just north of the Hudson Valley." I hoped my geography was correct, I would hate to have to explain a slip up.

"I don't mean to pry. But last night you showed up with no driver in sight, and you said you walked here. Can you tell me what happened?" Hmm, what do I remember about early cars?

"I had a driver, but the car overheated and we had to stop. The snow was getting heavier, so I told him that I would continue on foot while he fixed it. And I left before he could argue with me. I'm very stubborn, and it was no big deal." I hoped that was accurate.

"Hmm…" She shook her head slightly and frowned. Before I could think of a way to deflect the questions, she asked me another.

"Do you have a plan for while you are here? How will you make some money?" Oh this is an easy one.

"I have some money from the sale of my family home, but I plan on going to the hospital today and see if they have anything available."

Thomas's ears picked up on that, and he looked right at me.

"You want to work at the hospital? It just so happens that one of our doctors is looking for a new nurse, someone who can work at his side all the time. You would be responsible for only his patients. You would also need to assist him in the operating room." He seemed excited for some reason.

"That sounds perfect. What time should I go?" As I asked Thomas, he looked at the clock.

"I can escort you right after breakfast. He should be getting there now."

"Sounds perfect. Thank you for your assistance." We continued our breakfast in silence after that, excitement flowing through me. I was hoping this doctor was the one I was looking for.

I helped Annabelle clear the table and wash the dishes while Thomas got ready for his day at work. I went upstairs to get my coat, and then I met him at the door.

"Bella, the hospital is only four blocks over, if you don't mind walking. Otherwise I can call for a cab." He sounded concerned.

"No, thank you, walking is just fine." I wanted to take in the city at a slower pace.

Annabelle came to the door then, carrying Thomas's hat and gloves. "Bella? You don't have a hat and gloves! You'll freeze out there." I wanted to assure her that I would be fine, but she was gone before I could protest.

She came back after a few moments with a small bundle in her hands.

"Here you go dear. These are mine for you to borrow, maybe after you return today we can go to one of the stores and get you more appropriate attire for this cold weather." Was I not wearing winter clothes?

"I look forward to it." Maybe shopping in this simpler time would be easier on me.

She gave Thomas a kiss on the cheek and straightened his hat. "Be safe out there, and I will see you at dinner time. Bella, here is our address in case you decide to take a cab back. I'm not sure if you will start working today or not." I took the piece of paper from her outstretched hand, and turned to follow Thomas out the door.

The walk to the hospital was a cold one. The snow had stopped from the night before, and everything was covered in white. It was beautiful. I noticed that we were in a part of the town that wasn't heavily populated. There were more businesses here than anything else.

"Thomas, why aren't there more houses in this part?" I asked cautiously. I knew one mustn't be too curious, especially a woman.

"Great question. Our house was kept here in this part of the town for travelling workers to have a place to stay. There are four houses that were turned into boarding houses. The others are located near the factories, and honestly, they are not as nice as ours. We were thankful that Annabelle's mother's house was near the shops. I heard your hesitation when you asked, and I understand that you are not from around here, so please do not feel bad for your curiosity around me, at least. I completely understand. I am a doctor after all; I am naturally curious myself."

"Thank you, Thomas. Can you tell me more about this doctor I will be working with?" I asked, letting a little of my excitement leak through.

"Well, lets see… I don't really know much about him. He's a very private person, and stays away from just about everyone. All his nurses quit on him after two weeks, with the excuse that they feel uncomfortable but can't explain why." Sounds like Carlisle to me. Well, at least I know he won't scare me away.

"I guess it's a good thing I like a challenge, and I am a very stubborn person. I'm sure I will be fine." I was more confident then ever.

Thomas just nodded his head and turned the next corner with me at my side. He said hello to a few people he passed, and they looked at me curiously. After another corner, the hospital came into view.

The building was tall and white. There weren't many windows on this side of the building, but there was a small red cross near the door to indicate that this was indeed the hospital.

When we entered the doors, it was very quiet, and there was a strong smell of bleach. There was a nurse sitting behind a desk just inside the door, and she looked up and smiled at Thomas. When her eyes glanced at me, she frowned.

"Who's this, Thomas?" She asked with disapproval in her tone.

"Ah, this is Isabella. She is a border at our home and is looking for work. Another brave soul to work with Dr. Cullen." The nurse smirked, and it wasn't a friendly one either. Despite her obvious distaste, my eyes lit up at the confirmed mention of Carlisle.

"Well, he's here. I think he is in his office. I'll call up ahead for you. Please escort Isabella to his floor." And with that, she turned her back on us and picked up the phone.

Thomas led me to the stairs. We walked up four flights and went through the doors. The hallway was stark white and very long. The lighting was a little dim, but I could still see just fine.

As we were walking down the hall, a nurse walked out of one of the rooms. She looked franticly up and down the hall, and she seemed very nervous. I wondered if it was because she was working for Carlisle.

Thomas led me down another hall and stopped at the first door. The door read 'Dr. Carlisle Cullen' in beautiful painted script. Thomas knocked twice and waited for the quite reply that came from the other side. My heart rate picked up slightly at the sound of his voice, and I almost ran through Thomas to get to him. I quickly checked myself though, and patiently waited for Thomas to open the door and usher me in.

I walked in first, and knew I was going to have to be careful. This Carlisle didn't know me, but I was just so excited. I wanted to hug him!

"Dr. Cullen, I'm so glad I caught you while you were still in your office. This is Isabella, and she is looking for work. I knew you were looking for a new permanent nurse, and she is up for the challenge." Carlisle's eyes roamed over my face, then to my clothes quickly, and he smiled.

"Thank you, Thomas. I'll interview Isabella and then if she fits what I need, I will give her the tour. Please tell Nurse Bishop she is dismissed. She can take the rest of the day off, and then return to her regular post in the morning. I think she has had enough of me for the day." He chuckled at some unknown thought.

"Good day, Carlisle. Bella, I'll meet you at the entrance at six to escort you home." I said good-bye and turned back to Carlisle.

"Isa-" I quickly cut him off.

"Please, Dr. Cullen, just call me Bella. I prefer that." I smiled at him then, wishing he knew me.

"Okay, Bella then. Let me ask you a few questions." I was suddenly nervous, not of Carlisle of course, but I had no medical background. I'm essentially a high school drop out.

"How old are you Bella?"

"I'm eighteen."

"Ok, good."

"Judging by your attire, you are not a skilled nurse. Have you had any training? I need someone that I won't have to babysit."

Oh no! I hope this doesn't hurt my chances with him.

"Honestly no, I haven't had any training. I am a quick learner though, and I promise you won't have to babysit me. If you can take the time to show me what the instruments are in the operating room, I will learn them quickly and by tomorrow. It will take time to learn your preferences, as I am sure you know."

He studied me for a moment, and I saw his eye brows scrunch in thought, just like they always do.

"Something tells me to take a chance on you, Bella. Today is an easy day here; I only have four patients, so I do actually have time to teach you and show you around. Let's see how you do. Please take this pen and paper and follow me."

I took the pen and paper from his outstretched hand and followed him back out into the hall. He led me into the room three doors down from his office.

"Bella, this is John. I just operated on his broken leg last week. He is recovering well, and should be able to go home next week. Our goal is to get him up out of bed and moving around with crutches in the next few days. He will need to be repositioned every four hours to avoid sores. John, this is my new nurse, Bella. Please be polite."

I wrote down everything Carlisle said to me about John, said good-bye with a smile, and followed Carlisle out into the hall. We went into the room across the hall and found a little boy in the bed.

"Bella, this here is James." I couldn't help it I shuddered at the name. The little boy had blonde hair and stark blue eyes with sharp features. He looked just like the monster that hunted me.

"Hello James, this is Bella. She is my new nurse, and I hope you wont give her a hard time. Bella, James will be ready to go home in three days. He has been here for a month after falling from a tree and breaking his collarbone and shoulder. It's still tender, but he is mobile and able to use his left arm pretty well. He is still taking pain medication, and he doesn't like it, so he will be difficult. Medication is administered twice daily." I again wrote the information down and said good-bye to James. I was going to have to try to get over the adverse affects that name was having on me.

We walked down the hall and into the room that I seen the flustered nurse exit when I came in with Thomas.

"Bella, this is Anna. Anna is in a coma, and we're not sure if she will come out of it. Your only job here is to check the machines, and make sure her fluid lines stay full. At this point there is nothing else we can do for her."

We left quickly after that. I felt bad for Anna. I hoped that she woke for her family's sake. We entered the room right next to Anna's to visit the last patient.

"This is Melvin. Melvin just had his left leg amputated after a streetcar accident. His wound and dressing will need to be cleaned and changed four times a day to avoid infection. Also pain medication is to be given at those times. Melvin, this is Bella, my new nurse." Melvin looked at me for the first time and his eyes widened.

"Hello Nurse Bella. You're a pretty little thing. Are you married?" Oh um…

"It was nice you meet you Melvin. And no, I'm not married." I had to think that the medication he was on was making him so bold.

"Bella, come on. Let's head to the operating room so you can get acquainted with the instruments." Carlisle seemed upset about something, but didn't voice it on our way down the hall, so I shrugged it off.

The operating room looked just like the ones I've seen on TV, except it was missing the more modern equipment. It was all white walls and floors with stainless steel and glass cupboards. Carlisle led me to the table in the middle of the floor and showed me the equipment on the little metal table next to it. Some of them looked familiar, but others looked like torture devices.

I diligently wrote down everything from left to right and labeled them according to Carlisle's preferences. It really didn't seem that difficult to understand, and everything had some pretty easy names, so it wouldn't be hard to memorize them.

"Alright Bella, that's it for the tour. We need to get you a uniform. Go back down to the front desk and ask Margret for one. She's the nurse stationed at the front desk." Oh no! I hope she is in a better mood than she appeared to be when I came in with Thomas. I was going to have to find out what her problem was.

I took the stairs back down to the first floor, and walked to the desk. Margret was sitting there looking over a paper. I waited for her to look up at me because I wasn't sure if the paper was important. After a few minutes though, it became clear that she was blatantly ignoring me.

"Excuse me, Margret. Dr. Cullen sent me down here to get a uniform from you." She finally looked up at me. The look of fire in her eyes would have scared me if she were something more than human.

"Did he now? You mean he is actually going to hire you?" I couldn't believe this woman had the audacity to act this way. I thought everyone was raised with manners.

"Excuse you? What did you just say?" I almost growled at her. I was this close to losing my cool with her.

"Well, I mean look at you. You're dressed like some high-class lady, and you come in here looking for a 'job' and you just happen to land it with Dr. Cullen. Who everyone knows is a very eligible bachelor. You know, there's a name for women like you." Did she just call me a prostitute?

"Oh my. Margret, I would be offended if your outburst held any truth to it. But let me just assure you that I have no interest in Dr. Cullen. That's not my goal, and if you ever call me a prostitute again I will personally rip your face off. Now, I am here to stay, do my job, and build my own life here. So run along and do your job."

Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She just stared at me.

"If you're too incompetent to get me my requested uniform, can you at least point me in the direction, and I will get them myself. And also, just a thought, perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to judge people. It's rude."

Margret was visibly shaking when she stood up and practically ran down the hall to a storage room. I guess even in this time, where people were raised proper, there were still some who thought themselves better then the rest. She reminded me of Lauren and Jessica.

She returned a few moments later and handed me a pile of uniforms.

"Since you seem adamant that you will be working here permanently, I went ahead and got you a few extra sets of uniforms. You'll need them working in the operating room. And I must apologize; it is so easy to assume the worst in people sometimes."

"Still, it's unprofessional and I should report you, but I wont. However, if I catch you treating someone else like you did me, then I will." I didn't wait for a response; I took my uniforms from her and headed back to the stairs.

When I exited the bathroom, Carlisle was coming down the hall. His eyes were alight with humor, and he was smirking. I knew he heard my conversation with Margret, but I wasn't going to let him know that I knew.

"There, now you look like a proper nurse. Why don't we go down and get some lunch. Nurse Bishop did all the morning rounds before you got here, so we have some time."

"Thank you Dr…" He cut me off.

"No, if I am not allowed to call you Isabella, then you must call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle then, thank you." I smiled up at him. And he led the way to the small cafeteria.

The food wasn't awful, but it definitely wasn't what was I accustomed to either. We, well I ate in silence, and Carlisle pushed his food around. I wasn't going to say anything about him not actually eating. I knew better.

"Bella, I'm really hoping that you work out as my nurse. I have had six nurses in the past month and I can't quite figure out why they don't like to work with me."

"Not to gossip or anything, but from what Thomas told me, all those nurses felt very uncomfortable around you, but couldn't explain why they felt that way. I however feel very comfortable with you, so I don't understand either."

"Hmm. Perhaps it's because I am very demanding of the care my patients receive. I'm pretty sure I ran those nurses off by expecting them to be here constantly. I hope you will be able to keep up."

"I have no doubt that I will be able to. I'm happy to be here." I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Let's get back upstairs and check on everyone. It's about time to administer meds, and Melvin needs his dressing checked." Carlisle stood and took both our trays to the garbage, and we walked back upstairs together.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

The past two weeks flew by. Between working at the hospital with Carlisle and doing chores at the boarding house with Annabelle, I was exhausted. Carlisle was impressed with my quick learning of his preferences and my attention to detail.

Sadly, Anna passed away while still in a coma; there was just nothing anyone could do, and without the aid of modern medicine, there was no way to get scans of her brain to see what was wrong. And poor Melvin, despite all of our efforts, he still got an infection and had to go back into surgery to remove the infected tissue. Carlisle was worried that he may have to amputate the rest of his leg up to his hip.

John and little James had a full recovery, and they were both discharged right on schedule. It took me a few days to get over my aversion to James' name. I knew that he wasn't the same person that hunted me, so I was quick to recover.

The hole in my chest was ever present, and I knew somewhere in this city I would find Edward. I've wanted to talk to Carlisle and ask him if he knew of the Masen's, but I've been too nervous.

"Bella, I thought you had the day off today? Why are you here?" At least Margret's attitude has changed over the past two weeks.

"It is, but Carlisle needed me to come in and assist him on a research project he has been working on." I said politely to her.

"Oh, sounds exciting. I'll let you get to it then."

I sluggishly took the stairs up to Carlisle's office. It wouldn't have been so bad if I weren't up at the crack of dawn teaching Annabelle a new recipe for chocolate cookies. They had two new boarders check in for a long-term stay, but I haven't met them yet.

When I reached the office, Carlisle was at his desk pouring over some papers he had scattered everywhere.

"Bella, thank you for coming in today. I wanted you to help me organize these papers, and perhaps help me file them."

"Sure Carlisle, whatever you need. Is there a particular order you want them filed in?" My tone was soft as a result of the exhaustion, but I was really trying to hide it from him.

"No, not really. Just file them so early notes are in the front, and more advanced notes in the back. I feel like I am really on to something here about coma patients, but I still have a long way to go." I sat down at his desk and began my task of sorting through the mess of notes. It did make it easier that he had the papers dated.

Despite the papers being dated, it still took me a few hours to get them sorted. I almost fell asleep twice reading through everything. Carlisle had left the office several times to check on his patients and to go down to the emergency room to see if they needed assistance. The hospital was always pretty quiet; people weren't as stupid as they are in 'my time'. When I finished the papers, I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes. I must have drifted off to sleep, because when the office door swung open, it startled me.

"Bella? You're still here? Its nearly 8 o'clock. It looks like a snowstorm is blowing in. Would you mind staying at my home? I could get you there faster than I could get you to the boarding house, and I will telegraph Thomas and let him know that you are safe with me." Wait what? A snowstorm? There were no windows in Carlisle's office so I didn't know what was going on outside.

"If you're sure it's okay with me in your home, I'm fine with that." I desperately needed some sleep, and I didn't care where I got it.

"Gather your things; I'll send the telegraph. Meet me at the entrance when you're ready to go." He left the room, and I put on my coat, hat, and gloves before heading downstairs.

The wind was so fierce when we stepped outside that I could barely see through the snow that was falling. The wind seemed to change directions constantly and pushed me around. Carlisle grabbed my arm to help keep me steady in our slow walk to his home.

I was surprised that the walk was so short. He lived on the next street over from the hospital. It was darker out than usual because of the storm, and I couldn't make out the details of his house. Carlisle unlocked the door quickly and turned on a few lights.

"It's not much to look at as I am at the hospital more often then I am here, but I do have a spare room that you can sleep in and a shower. I don't have much food either." I smiled at the fact he didn't have much food. Of course he didn't.

He showed me where the bathroom and spare bedroom were. Since I didn't have any extra clothes, I was going to have to wear this dress again tomorrow. I showered quickly, redressed, and went right to bed.

It was light out when I woke, and sun seemed brighter through the curtains. I went to the window and everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow. I was facing the street, but I couldn't see it. There was too much snow.

"Good morning, Bella." Carlisle greeted me when I came down the stairs.

"Good morning, Carlisle. What time is it?" I had to ask; it seemed so late in the morning.

"It's nearing eleven. I tried to wake you at seven to go into the hospital with me, but you wouldn't wake. I realized that you have been running non-stop for almost two weeks now, and I felt terrible, so I let you sleep. There is a covered dish warming in the oven for you whenever you are hungry. I'm done at the hospital for today, so I figured we could just stay here while we wait for the roads to get cleaned up."

"Thank you, Carlisle. Please don't feel bad about my working. I like the work, and it helps keep my mind off other things." The need to ask him about the Masen's was really pressing on me, but I didn't know if I had the courage to ask him just yet.

I went and got my plate out of the oven, and I was surprised to find pancakes, sausage, and eggs. On the table was butter and syrup. I ate happily and washed the dishes when I was finished. Carlisle was still in the living room when I returned.

"Bella how is life at the boarding house?" His question was polite, and I knew he was naturally curious so I had no problem answering him.

"It's all right. Though sometimes I am so exhausted from working that I have a hard time helping with the chores around the house. I manage though, and get it done without complaint." His eyebrows scrunched in concentration at my statement, and he was silent for a few moments.

"I don't mean to sound forward or anything, but how would you feel about moving in here with me? This place needs some life; don't you think?" I almost choked when he said life.

"You want me to live here? Won't people think that's a bit inappropriate?"

"Does it matter? We're nothing more than friends who work together. Wouldn't it be easier to be closer to the hospital? To not have to juggle the chores at the boarding house along with my demanding schedule?" His tone was sincere but serious.

It hit me then. If I lived here with him, I could tell him that I knew his secret and of the life he will lead. I could tell him where I really came from. If he could trust me, then I knew he would help me with my mission.

"All right, I will accept your proposal. It does seem more convenient to live here." I could see the relief in his expression at my words.

"Thank you, Bella. I've been alone for so long; you wouldn't understand." Oh Carlisle, I do understand… more than you know.

Later that evening the roads were cleared enough so that we could walk to the boarding house. I was thankful that the wind was not whipping, but it was still lightly snowing.

"Bella! I was so worried about you last night with that awful storm!" Annabelle greeted me when I walked in the door.

"Yes, thankfully Carlisle offered me his spare room last night."

"Oh! Hello, Dr. Cullen. Would you please join us for dinner? Bella, could you please help me?" I looked to Carlisle and he nodded at me. It would be rude to refuse. And I would just tell her that I was moving out over dinner.

I helped Annabelle finish getting dinner on the table. It smelled wonderful. Roasted chicken with vegetables. For the first time, I met the other boarders; they were a funny pair. Apparently they travel together finding work in the cities. Their names are Frank and Walter. Carlisle was tense beside me, and I wondered if he was having a hard time with the food. I tried watching him from the corner of my eye to see if he was all right, but he relaxed again after a few moments.

When dinner began winding down, I decided that was the best time to tell Annabelle that I was moving out. In order to avoid speculation, I knew I was going to have to say it in the right way.

"Annabelle, Thomas, I wanted to let you know that Dr. Cullen has offered me his spare room. It is more convenient given our demanding hours at the hospital, and he lives so close. I will of course pay you for this full week, but I will be leaving tonight."

They both had a look of understanding; they had people come and go so much that I am sure they were happy to have the room available for families again.

"That sounds wonderful dear. Thank you, Dr. Cullen for taking Bella in. I'm sure she will be much happier closer to the hospital. And hopefully she will have more opportunities to find her own place."

I helped Annabelle clean up after we were finished eating and then went upstairs to repack my trunk. As I was getting ready to drag it down the stairs, Carlisle appeared at the top step and took the trunk out of my hand.

"I'll take that, Bella. I wouldn't be a gentleman if I allowed you to cart this all the way over to my house." He picked the trunk up with ease and carried it down the stairs with me following behind.

I said my goodbyes to Annabelle and told Thomas I would see him around the hospital. We left after that, declining the offer to have them call a car for us.

"Bella, I know I don't have any food in the house, so how about we stop at the market tomorrow sometime?" The offer was nice, but he didn't have to make himself uncomfortable. And I knew that he didn't partake in making his home a prop until after he met Esme and Edward came back from his rebellion.

A shot of pain ran through me when I thought about Esme and Edward. I knew we would all be together again; it was just going to take some time.

"Carlisle, I can go to the market on my own, no need for you to go as well. Is there anything particular you want? I can just pick it up." His smile was rueful. And I felt guilty for stringing him along. I was going to have to come clean to him. Maybe I should just get it over with.

"No, just get whatever you would like. I eat at unusual times and I am okay getting my own meals." I just nodded, not knowing how to respond to that.

The rest of the walk to his house was silent. I was trying to figure out how to go about talking to him about all of this. When we reached his house, I still hadn't come up with the 'right' way to tell him, so I was just going to have to let it sit a while longer.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

It wasn't until a week later that the opportunity to talk to Carlisle finally presented itself. I had noticed that his eyes were getting darker by the day, and he was getting more irritable. On the way home from the hospital, I tripped over a stick that was lying in the middle of the walkway.

"Jesus, Bella! Watch where you're going!" Carlisle snapped at me, and if I wasn't mistaken, I heard a low growl in his voice.

I said nothing until we reached the house. This wasn't something that should be said outside where you didn't know who might be listening. As soon as we were in the house, I hung my coat up on the coat rack and took a seat on the sofa.

"You know, Carlisle, I don't know why you let it go for so long." I said simply. It got his attention quickly, which was my goal.

"Excuse me? What are you talking about Bella?" He was still snapping at me. I took a breath and held it for a moment.

"Your thirst, Carlisle. Why stretch it for two weeks, when obviously you need to go hunting now? Do you not notice the change in your moods?" If he could have gotten paler he would have. His eyes widened, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking.

"How… how do you know what I am?" Ah, the question. Well, he would need to go hunting before we continued.

"I know a great deal about you, and I would love to tell you about it. I would prefer that you went and took care of yourself before I tell you my story, though."

"Bella, I think this takes priority over my _thirst_." Was he really going to argue?

"No, Carlisle. I promise to be right here when you get back, and then we will talk."

"Alright, I'll go. And I am holding you to your word." I wouldn't expect anything different. I nodded at him.

"I promise, and… you can trust me Carlisle."

With that he left. It was twilight out, so I knew he would be able to move through the shadows and make quick work of taking care of his thirst. While he was gone, I fixed myself some dinner; might as well take care of myself while I was preaching about him. I also had time to straighten up my bedroom.

It was a few hours later when Carlisle returned, and I was sitting on the sofa reading my worn copy of _Wuthering Heights_ when the door opened, bringing in a blast of cold air. Carlisle sat in the chair opposite the couch and stared at me intently with his now golden eyes. Sighing, I put my book down and sat up straighter.

"Now that I have hunted, please tell me everything you know." He seemed very nervous.

"I guess I need to start at the beginning. I'm not from this time Carlisle. I came here from the year 2005." I paused so he could absorb this information.

"That's impossible. Don't lie to me!" Oh lord!

"No, Carlisle. You know it's not impossible. Do you remember meeting Ciaran?" His eyes lit up at the mention of Ciaran.

"Yes, I met him about ten years ago."

"Did you learn of his talent?" I asked. I hoped I didn't have to explain it.

"Yes, now that you mention it, I did. But I didn't know he could send someone else back in time." He was excited now.

"Yes, he figured it out. Anyways… I moved to a small town called Forks; it is located in Washington. I met you, and _your family_ …" He cut me off.

"Did you just say family?"

"Yes, Carlisle, your family. I'll tell you all about it soon.

"So I moved to Forks, and met you and your family. Things were rough at first. Your 'eldest' son wanted to kill me. I was his singer. And I was also his mate. He overcame his thirst, and we fell in love. Then on my eighteenth birthday, there was an accident, and I was almost killed by another member of your family. Your son left me, and made you all leave as well. I was in agony and still am, but I was at your house and Ciaran appeared. I told him everything that happened. Since he knew you, he wanted to do something to say thank you for changing his life around. He offered to send me back here to meet my mate as a human, and to take it from there. So hear I am. I figured if I befriended you first then you would be more likely to help me find my lost love."

"That is quite the tale, Bella. So tell me more about my family."

"Next year, the war will end. And when our soldiers come home they will bring the Spanish Influenza with them. It will spread like wild fire, and it will hit here in Chicago. You will meet a woman named Elizabeth Masen; she is the mother of Edward Masen Jr. She will die on a bed right here in the hospital that we work in. She will beg you to save her son in ways that she couldn't. You will change Edward and then flee the city with him. I was told that he was nearing death himself because of the fever, and you knew no one would think twice about him 'missing'.

"The Masens? You mean Edward Masen, the lawyer?"

"Yes, that Masen. He will pass away first, at home."

"Wow. So why is this family important?"

"Edward Jr. is my mate. It is important that you change him so that we can be together."

I didn't wait for him to ask a follow up; I knew this part would make him very happy.

"Next, you will change your mate. Esme…"

"Wait! Esme?"

"Yes, Esme… I believe you have already met her, what was it, back in 1911, she was 16 at the time, and had a broken leg."

"When will we see her again?" His curiosity was definitely piqued.

"We wont see her again until 1921. Her story is tragic though. Do you really want to know right now? We can't change it; we must let it happen like it is suppose to." I waited for him to decide.

"No, I don't think I want to know. I know the ache you are feeling all to well, and I think hearing it would kill me. But you'll let me know when it's time?"

"Of course, Carlisle. Do you want to hear the rest about your family?"

"Of course I do. However, I would really like to know what your plans here are."

My plans? I haven't really thought too much about them. Other than finding Carlisle and Edward, I wasn't sure what to do from there.

"My main goal was to find you. Then find Edward. I want to get to know him as a human, and I was hoping to ask you if you knew the Masens. I didn't know how to ask you without telling you my story because it would have seemed odd for me, who claims to be from New York, to ask about a family in Chicago. But now that you know the truth… can you tell me where the Masens live?" I asked hopefully.

"Everyone knows where they live. I'll take you there myself. I'm really hoping everything works out for you." I smiled. Finally, I would hopefully be reunited with Edward.

"Now tell me, Bella, how many members will be in my family?"

"If everything goes according to plan, there will be eight members in your family, Carlisle."

"Eight! That is quite large! What are their names?" Here we go. I hope he won't get mad.

"There's you and Esme, Edward and I, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper."

"Wow! That's amazing!" He went quiet after that, probably thinking about all these people.

I stood after a while and started heading up the stairs to my bedroom when Carlisle called me back.

"Bella. I don't mean to sound untrusting, but I really hope that you are being truthful and not lying just to get what you want." I should have been offended that he would question my character like that, but in reality, I couldn't blame him.

"I would never do that, Carlisle. Now we know each other's secrets, and I hope you will see over time that I would never lead you astray. Not over something as important as your family."

"Very well. We will see." His tone was final, so I continued up the stairs to my room.

I was awoken the next morning by someone pounding on the front door. Just as I got to the bottom of the stairs, Carlisle opened the door. There was a young man standing there, hunched over and breathing heavily.

"Dr. Cullen! Come quick! There has been a street car crash and they need you at the hospital." The man breathed out. My eyes widened. We haven't had any kind of action at the hospital since my arrival.

"Bella, go get ready. It's going to be a very busy day." He was gone in a flash to get his things, and I sprinted back up the stairs, tripping on my way, to change into my nurse uniform.

Carlisle matched my pace, a brisk human walk to the hospital. I could hear the sirens and see a cloud of smoke in the distance. Once we rounded the corner and could see the hospital, I noticed that the entrance was a flurry of activity.

"Dr. Cullen! Thank god! It looks like twenty people were injured. We were able to establish a triage and assess the ones that were critical and ones that only needed minor medical attention. We've dispatched messengers to several other doctors, but of course you were the first to arrive." It was Margret, and she seemed flustered. No doubt from not seeing an accident like this before.

"Very well, where are the critical patients?" His tone was friendly, but demanding.

"Right this way please. Oh, hello, Bella." I followed them into the hospital, and down a hall on the first floor.

The room was filled with people who were either crying or moaning out in pain. One man had his femur bone sticking out of his leg. Another man had a large gash on his head and was bleeding profusely. A woman clearly had a broken arm, and next to her was a little girl with a cut across her back. It was hard to see this many injured, and my vision wavered just a bit at the smell of all the blood. I centered myself and ignored it, deciding to focus on assisting Carlisle where he needed me.

The day was long, and we were in the operating room until late. Fifteen of the twenty people needed surgery, and only one died. It was a good day by any standard in an emergency. Carlisle didn't let any other doctors in the operating room with him, and since he now knew I knew his secret, he was able to work at his pace. It made the surgeries go a lot quicker as well.

I was dead on my feet when we finally left for the night. Carlisle half carried me home.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I forgot you were only a human today. I will get a different nurse to help me tomorrow. I want you stay home and rest." He sounded upset with himself.

"I should be fine after some sleep, and I'll be good to go again for tomorrow. No need to make me take the day off."

"No, I insist. You won't survive working like you have. No need to wear yourself out and cause an illness." No, I definitely didn't want that.

"All right, if you are going to be so insistent about it." I yawned while talking, but I am sure he still understood what I said.

My bed was my only thought when we entered the house, but Carlisle called me into the kitchen.

"Bella you should eat something before going to sleep for the night. Why don't you go get ready, and I will see what I can find for you." That was not something he needed to do for me, but at the mention of food, my stomach grumbled loudly. I sighed; I didn't want him to take care of me, but I was too tired to argue.

I turned the water on as hot as I could get it and let it fall over me. My muscles loosened immediately, and there was a rush of relief. I wanted to stay there forever. All too soon, exhaustion washed back over me, and I got out and went downstairs to see what Carlisle had found for me in the kitchen. I found him standing at the stove stirring a pot.

"What ya got there Carlisle?" He growled slightly and turned to face me.

"It's the soup you made the other day… I think." He shuddered as he said it. "It smells awful by the way." I laughed at him.

"Well, thank you for your efforts." I peeked over his arm to look into the pot. It was indeed my soup. And it was boiling.

"Carlisle, that soup is efficiently hot enough. You can shut it off now." He turned it off and pulled the soup off the burner.

I had to let the soup cool before I could eat it, so I busied myself wiping down the counters; even though they were clean, I needed to do something. After about twenty minutes, I ladled some soup into the bowl and ate it quickly. With a stomach full of warm soup, I said goodnight to Carlisle and sluggishly walked up the stairs. I flopped into my bed, face first on the pillows, and that was all I remembered.

I didn't wake up until the afternoon. The clock read one and I felt fully rested. I dressed and went downstairs with my book. After lighting a fire in the fireplace, I moved the chair closer and settled in to read. I was so immersed in my book that it startled me when the door opened and clicked closed. I didn't hear Carlisle's footsteps, but I knew it was him.

"Hello, Bella. How was your day?"

"Very restful. Thank you, Carlisle. How are the patients today?"

"Everyone is recovering quite well. They are all awake, thankfully. I expect everyone to be released in a few days so they can recover comfortably at home."

"That's wonderful news! I need to go to the market and get some things. Care to join me?" The look on his face was priceless, and I laughed. Clearly he didn't want to go.

"Carlisle, you can refuse. I know you don't want to go. I'll be back soon." I grabbed my small change purse and my coat before heading out the door.

The walk to the market was short. The air was slightly warmer than it had been all week, and I was grateful. There seemed to be a charge in the air, but the sky was only overcast. I hadn't heard any reports of another storm coming in, so I wasn't sure what was going on.

I walked around the market trying to decide what I wanted to buy. I didn't necessarily need anything, but I wanted something different for dinner. I came across a case with fresh steaks and decided that steak and potatoes would be a wonderful dinner. I also knew we needed some milk. I found a small case with milk, and as I was pulling the bottle out, I felt an electric shock go through me.

I stood, and then everything in my hands went crashing to the floor when I saw the person standing next to me. Nothing mattered to me at that moment. Not the milk that had splattered all over my dress and was in a pool on the floor, not my dinner items. All that mattered was the boy standing next to me staring just as openly as I was.

"I'm so sorry!" It was all I could say to him in that moment.

"No worries, I didn't like these pants anyways." He flashed me his crooked smile and I melted. "I'm Edward. Edward Masen."

"Nice to meet you Edward. I'm Isabella… Bella for short… Swan." I stuttered out. While extending my hand out to him, apparently I wasn't over the shock yet.

He reached for my hand, and it seemed like it was happening in slow motion. Once our hands connected, it felt like a shockwave went through me. My knees almost gave out at his touch. His eyes widened, and he gasped. I knew he felt it too.

"Bella…" He sighed out and smiled.


	4. Edward 1917

Thank you to nicoleXben for being my beta! She does such a wonderful job!

This chapter was supposed to be at the end of chapter 2, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with a ridiculously long chapter, so now you get a chapter of just Edward. As a human!

*IMPORTANT!

This will be the last chapter that I update on here for a while. I want to get chapter 6 finished, and hopefully 2 more before Camp NaNoWriMo in April. I am hoping to have this story completed by the end of that!

With that being said, please leave me a review and let me know how you like the story so far!

I will also be seeking a new beta from chapter 4 on. nicoleXben was fabulous, but due to personal reasons, she couldn't beta for me any longer. So if you're an experienced beta, please PM me and we can work out the details!

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Edward POV 1917:

Something had me off balance when I opened my eyes. It was almost as if something about me was missing. I had a deep ache in my chest; it wasn't painful, but it was depressing. I didn't remember going to bed the night before, but I woke up in my familiar bed. I started to remember the dream I was having just before I woke.

There was a girl. I definitely didn't know who she was, but she was beautiful. She had brown hair and deep chocolate eyes that melted into my soul. Just the thought of her made my chest ache deeper. I felt like I loved her, and I didn't understand how I could love someone who was only in my dreams. The feelings that came with seeing her eyes were strong and unwavering though.

I sat up, desperate to figure out why I would dream of someone I didn't know, and why I would have such strong emotions about her. I must have sat there too long because I heard an angry muffled voice call up to me.

"Edward? Are you awake? You're going to be late again!" My father's demanding tone echoed up the stairs.

Looking at the clock, I realized that I was indeed late.

"Yeah, I'm awake. I'll be down in a minute," I called back down to him.

I got up and quickly dressed. I ran a comb through my hair, but it wouldn't submit; it never did. I sprinted down the stairs where my mother was waiting with a look of controlled patience on her face. She handed me a muffin and my schoolbooks before kissing me on the cheek.

The screen door slammed behind me as I rushed out the door. My father was getting in the car, and he looked up at me with a severe look that was loaded with disapproval. It was enough to make me hang my head. I knew he didn't approve of me being late for anything. I'd say it wasn't my fault, but it was.

I ran through the gate at the end of the driveway and continued down the road. Our house was located in a more wealthy part of the city. On one side were houses, and on the other was Jackson Park. Thankfully I only had to run three blocks from my house to get to school.

I was only slightly winded when I reached the school. I arrived just as my classmates were walking through the doors. Charles, my best friend, was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the railing. He was shaking with laughter.

"What kept you this morning, Edward?" The laughter in his voice was only slightly amusing.

"Nothing really. I woke up late." I didn't want to tell him about my dream. He wouldn't understand and would just tell me to get over it and find someone else. There were at least five girls vying for my attention.

Those five girls would never hold a candle to the beauty of the girl from my dreams. I rubbed my chest as the ache was still there. Thinking of the dream made it worse.

"You better take practice more seriously, Edward. Looks like the run from your house may kill you." I was confused for a moment, but then it clicked. Charles thought that my chest pain was from running here. Good, now I wouldn't have to explain it.

I playfully shoved him on my way past and into the school. I made my way to the back of the room and took my seat. It wasn't long before I was zoning out; I couldn't even concentrate on my lessons. Her face invaded my mind once again.

' _Who are you? What do you want? Where are you?"_ My mind was full of questions. I wanted to find this girl. Something told me that finding her would bring me something good.

"Hey, Edward?" Charles brought me out my musings. He was tapping my arm.

"You're awfully distracted, Edward. What's going on? It's time for lunch, by the way." I looked around and noticed the classroom was empty. I stood, shook my head to try and clear it, and followed him out.

I groaned out in frustration when I noticed Regina standing next to the door of the lunchroom. She was a pretty girl, but only from her features. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was vile and mean toward others, and that made her ugly to me. I was almost completely positive that she was only interested in me because of my family's money. That was not a trait that I wanted in someone I would consider to court.

"Hey, Edward. How are you today?" She batted her eyelashes at me, no doubt trying to be alluring. I cringed, wishing she would not try to engage me in conversation.

"I'm fine, Regina, thanks for asking." I said distractedly, and went to step around her, a clear indicator that I was not interested. She placed her hand on my arm to stop me.

"Won't you escort me to lunch? Please, Edward?" Her voice made me shiver. It was cold; there was no warmth in her tone. Another thing that told me she wasn't truly interested in me.

I sighed, torn between manners and giving her a clear message that I wasn't interested in her. My manners won though. My mother would be disappointed if she heard of me not being a gentleman.

"I suppose I could do that." I went to pull away from her to walk her in, but she tightened her grip on my arm. It was almost as if she was staking a claim on me. Shrugging her off would have been rude, so I walked her through the line.

I fully intended on just dropping her off at her table with her friends, but she pulled me down next to her. The girls at the table gasped, then immediately started to giggle. I scanned all their faces trying to see if the dream girl was amongst them. I spotted someone with brown hair and instantly became hopeful. Instead of brown eyes, I was met with scowling ice blue eyes. It was Evelyn, Regina's rival. She was another one looking to marry someone with a rich family.

I ducked my head to avoid any more eye contact with the girls who were staring at me with lust. I ate what food I could, though it tasted like cardboard. My mind once again drifted to my dream. I was becoming more unsettled as time went by, and I could feel irritation creep up on me.

"Earth to Edward!" I cringed at the sound of Regina's voice so close to my ear.

"What? Sorry! Yes?" Her eyes widened at my tone. I've always been courteous.

"I was asking if you wanted to go have a picnic in the park with me on Saturday?" No, I definitely did not want to do that.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I have plans with my father on Saturday." She didn't try to hide her disappointment, and that was okay with me.

"Excuse me, ladies." I got up with a nod of my head and threw my uneaten lunch away.

Charles walked towards me, and I scowled at him.

"Did they try to kill you, Edward? You should have seen your face!" He was laughing hysterically on the way out of the lunchroom, and I wanted to punch him.

"You could have come over and helped me escape, Charles." I bit back at him.

"Whoa! What has gotten into you today, Edward?

"I don't know. I can't explain it. But I think I should have just stayed in bed today." I shrugged my shoulders; I really didn't understand it.

"I wish those girls would look at me the way they look at you. I've wanted to ask Evelyn to join me on a picnic, but she looks at you the same way Regina does, so I know my attempts would be fruitless."

"You shouldn't let that stop you, Charles. If you don't ask, you won't know. I have no interest in Evelyn, so please try to ask her. I just don't see the point of courting anyone at this time."

He nodded in response. We were both hoping to join the war once we were eighteen, but our fathers had other plans for us. My father hoped for me to intern at his office, but I had no interest in becoming a lawyer, and the same for Charles, his father was a dentist, and was hoping for Charles to become one, so he could pass the practice to him.

We settled back into our seats for the rest of our lessons for the day. I tried to ignore the eyes that were blocking my view, but they wouldn't go away. Those eyes were so full of promise that my mind was again racing with silent questions.

The day finally ended, and I followed Charles out of the school.

"Come on, Charles. Come over to my house for a bit."

He didn't respond, simply falling into step beside me. The walk home was quite, and I was trying not to focus on my dream. When we got to my house, my mother was sitting in the living room with hot chocolate and cookies. She got up when she saw Charles come in and went into the kitchen to get him a mug as well.

"How was your day, boys?" She asked the same question every day.

"It was fine, mother. I made it just in time this morning. Sorry about slamming the door on my way out." She smiled kindly.

"We really need to work on your lateness, Edward. You know your father disapproves." Her words were not unkind, but it was a clear warning.

"Yes, mom." I bowed my head.

"Charles, how is your mother? I must go visit her this week."

"She's good, ma'am. I will let her know you plan to visit."

We visited on the porch for a while, and then my mom left us to our own devices while she went and prepared dinner.

"Edward? I was really worried about you today. What was going on?" Does he really want to know?

"Charles… I'd rather not talk about it until I figure it out myself." I didn't want to tell him; these feelings were so confusing.

"I'll respect that, but know I'll be here when you're ready to talk. Okay?"

"Thanks, Charles. I appreciate it." I knew he would be there, but I wasn't sure how he would respond.

We stayed outside until my father pulled into the driveway. Charles excused himself to head home for his dinner when he saw my father's car.

My father got out of the car, and walked towards the porch.

"Hello, Edward. Can I have a word with you in my office?" I was sure I was going to get reprimanded about being late this morning, but I followed him inside.

"Have a seat, Edward. I have something important to discuss with you." Okay… obviously this wasn't something I was prepared for.

"You're seventeen, Edward. It's time you start courting someone. I understand that there are several girls at your school who are interested in you. Why haven't you picked one yet?" What? Was he serious?

"I'm sorry, father. Those girls are only interested in financial gain, and I would rather marry for love." He seemed to bristle at my words.

"What? I don't think you understand, Edward. Of course it is financial gain for her. You think your mother was from the same status that I was? No, she surely wasn't. I loved her in time, and our love grew from there. Now, my associate Henry Miller has a daughter your age. Her name is Grace. I want you to meet her."

 _Why now? What is this really about?_

"Fine! Is that all, father?" I said in a low tone. I didn't want to upset him.

"Yes, Edward. You may go." His tone was dismissive, and I was glad for it.

I went out to the kitchen to find my mother. I had always thought that my parents married for love, not financial gain. I found her at the stove, and I'm sure my facial expression showed how confused I was. I wanted to say something to her, but she raised her eyebrow at me.

"Shh, Edward. Meet the Miller's daughter and see what you think of her. You never know; you may feel the spark that you are looking for. I felt it when I met your father, though you know he would never admit that." There was nothing to say. Both my parents have mandated that I meet this girl.

Dinner was a silent affair, at least for me. My parents had no problem conversing with each other. I was sulking, and they knew it. They also knew to just leave me with my thoughts. Every time I thought more about meeting Grace, the ache in my chest would intensify, and those brown eyes would flash in my mind.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

For two weeks I dreamt of the girl. Sometimes she would walk towards me and smile, and sometimes she would be walking away from me. I couldn't understand it.

Three nights after I had spoken to my parents about Grace, her family came over for dinner. It was a Saturday, and it was too cold to enjoy the outdoors, so we were stuck inside.

Grace was a lovely girl. She had soft features, blonde hair, and blue eyes. But alas, she was not the one I was looking for. And it was obvious I was not the one for her either. We did enjoy the day together, though. I played the piano for her and told her a little about myself. She told me she was in love with another, but her parents did not approve of him. That is why they forced her into my path. We agreed we could remain friends, and set up a time for a few weeks to meet again. Our parents were ecstatic that things seemed to be going well. They could hope all they wanted, but Grace and I knew it would never work between us.

A week after the Miller's were at the house, my father started pestering me about becoming a lawyer like him. It was a constant fight between us.

"Edward, I want you to intern at my office. I'd like for you to become a lawyer."

"Father, my dreams are to go off to war once I'm eighteen. We've been over this. I'd also like to study music."

"Edward, be realistic. The war will end, and then where will you be? Where can your music take you? Being a lawyer is financially appropriate."

I walked away from him every time. There would be no way to agree with him. I was set on my path, whether he liked it or not.

My mother got increasingly worried as time went by. I always listened to them and took their advice seriously. And now, I was being 'difficult' as they would say. Something in those dreams told me that life would be more different than even I could comprehend. I was still confused, but it felt like something big was about to happen.

There was a snowstorm that hit the city hard, and school got cancelled. Charles and I gathered our other friends and had the largest snowball fight ever in the park. It was a great day, and I definitely needed the distraction.

Then there were the reports of the largest streetcar accident in history. The reports said that one of the cars derailed, causing another to crash into it. Only one life was lost, but twenty were injured. Thanks went to Dr. Cullen for his fast arrival to tend to the worst of the injuries.

The night of the crash, I had the most vivid dream. She was there of course, but she was different somehow. I couldn't explain the difference, nor could I really detect it. She was wearing a light lavender dress and white boots. Then all of a sudden, there were a million swans flying all around her. They moved faster and faster, and then she was gone.

I woke to my heart pounding and I was struggling to catch my breath. The ache in my chest was so profound that I thought I was dying. Just as I was about to call for my mother, everything eased back to normal except for the ache. I had become so used to it by now that I just ignored it and went on with my morning.

Everything came into clear focus when my mother stated that she wasn't feeling well and asked me to go to the market near the hospital. It had been a while since I was over near Washington Park. It was the industrial part of town, but my mother swore they had the best meat in that market. I had to take three streetcars to get there, but I went for my mother. I was slightly nervous to be in a car after the crash, but everything was fine. I sighed in relief when I was able to get off, though. If it weren't such a long walk, I would just walk home when I was done.

I walked into the market that was one block down from the streetcar stop, and the air inside was charged, almost as if there was a storm brewing inside. I walked to the meat counter, and the butcher was handing over a package to a girl with brown hair. She was wearing a lavender dress. Her hair was long and left loose to fall down her back. She was absolutely gorgeous.

' _Wait… lavender dress? Could it be?'_

The butcher was patiently waiting for my order as I stared openly at the girl who walked over to the small case with milk inside.

"Can I help you, young man?" The butcher pulled me out of my staring, which was good because I knew I was being rude.

"Yes, can I please have your largest roast and five steaks please? I'll be right back." I absently told him as I walked towards the girl.

As I walked towards her, the ache in my chest disappeared, and it felt like an electric current was running through me. I stood next to her and was about to reach out and touch her arm to get her attention, when she stood up abruptly. Her eyes locked onto mine, and I heard a crash a second before I felt that my legs were wet. I didn't really register it; I was staring into chocolate brown eyes that melted my soul.

"I'm so sorry!" She said to me, but it took a moment for it to register.

"No worries, I didn't like these pants anyway." I smiled at her in response to my joke. _Did I really just say that though?_ "I'm Edward. Edward Masen." I knew I needed to tell her my name.

"Nice to meet you, Edward. I'm Isabella… Bella for short… Swan." She was stuttering, clearly affected by me, and it gave me great joy. My name rolled off her tongue like she had said it a thousand times.

' _Swan… that explained my dream.'_ This was fate, and I knew it.

I watched her slowly extend her hand to mine, and I waited with anticipation to reach out and hold it.

When our hands touched, an electric current so strong ran through my body, and I could have sworn the ground shook with the shockwaves of it. My eyes widened, and I gasped out in shock. I knew this was the girl for me.

"Bella…" I sighed out her name, and it sounded so perfect coming off my lips.

"Edward." She giggled and it sounded like music. I couldn't stop staring into her eyes.

"Excuse me, sir. Your order is ready now." The butcher brought me out of my trance.

"Please, Bella. Don't leave yet." I begged her.

I went to the counter and paid for my order, and suddenly there was a spark radiating from my hand. Bella had walked up to me and took my hand in hers. I turned and smiled at her as she started tugging me towards the door.

"Edward. I just… I need to see you again… I have to go now, but please stop by the hospital tomorrow afternoon. I'll be there, on the fourth floor, in the surgical wing. That's where I work."

She let my hand go and started walking away.

"Wait!" I yelled out to her in a panic. "May I escort you home?" I wasn't ready to part ways with her yet.

"Of course! It's not that far though." I walked beside her, nervous for some reason to start a conversation. Thankfully, she saved me.

"Tell me about yourself, Edward." She asked with a smile.

I froze. Would she really want to know about my mundane life? She stopped when she noticed I was frozen in place, and a warm smile graced her lips.

"I'm sure whatever you tell me will be interesting, Edward. I know we just met, but I really want to get you know you." Her eyes held a wisdom you wouldn't necessarily see in someone so young.

"Well, let's see. I'm seventeen, and in my senior year of school. I am the captain of the track team. My father is pressuring me into interning at his law firm to become a lawyer like him. My mother wants me to find a woman to court. But what I really want to do is head off to war once I'm eighteen." I watched her eyes turn sad once I mentioned going off to war. The expression only lasted a second though.

"War? You want go over there and risk your life? I'm not trying to put you down or anything. I just don't understand why someone would willingly want to do it."

Just as I was about to respond, we stopped in front of a blue house. It was decent looking on the outside, but it was small compared to mine.

"Well, this is where I live. I should get back inside; it's starting to get cold out. You'll come to the hospital in the afternoon, then?"

"Of course! I'd love to see you some more. I can come over after school."

Bella was about to respond when the door suddenly swung open and out stepped a man with blonde hair. He looked worriedly at Bella, then at me.

"Bella! There you are. I was starting to get worried, and about come looking… oh! Who's this?"

"Carlisle. No need to worry. I'd like you to meet _Edward._ I just ran into him at the market, and we've been talking while he escorted me home." I noticed that she said my name in a weird way, and the man's eyes lit up when she said it.

He walked down the steps with a smile and extended his hand out to me when he reached us.

"Hello, Edward. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen." I reached for his hand and noticed it was very cold and hard. It was a strange feeling. And when our hands touched, I felt a strange sense that he was familiar to me. He seemed excited to meet me.

"It's a pleasure, Dr. Cullen." I smiled at him, though I suddenly felt like I was intruding on their home.

"Well, Bella… I'll go back in and let you continue to talk to your friend. I'm sure I will see you around, Edward." And with that, he went back inside.

"Sorry about that, Edward. Carlisle and I are roommates and co-workers. He is a doctor at the hospital as I am sure is obvious. I'm his personal nurse."

I didn't want to ask because I knew it was rude, but I had to know.

"So are you in a relationship with him?" I cringed as it came out of my mouth, though. I was afraid to offend her and lose my chances at getting to know her more.

She laughed loudly at my question.

"Oh god, no! Edward! Carlisle is my boss! I would never dream of dating him." She was still laughing and I was slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, okay… I just wanted to make sure. I should probably get this stuff back to my mother."

Bella looked sad again, and suddenly I didn't want to leave her. Something was telling me to stay with her.

"So… you'll come see me tomorrow?" Her tone was soft, and her eyes still sad. And I knew I would do anything to see her smile again.

"Of course! I'll be there around three if that's a good time?"

"Three sounds perfect! Maybe I can get out of there early and we can go to the park?"

"That sounds like a good idea! I'll see you tomorrow at three." I waved at her, though I really wanted to kiss her, and turned to head back to the streetcar stop.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

I smiled all the way home; I couldn't help it. My body still seemed to be tingling from touching her. I knew she was the one. She was, after all, the girl of my dreams. Literally. It was like my whole life changed in an instant, and now I was sure of only one thing: I was going to marry Bella Swan.

I was whistling when I walked into the house, and my mother looked up shocked. She then glanced at the clock and frowned.

"Edward, where have you been?" She sounded slightly upset, but I wasn't going to let her tone bring me down.

"I'm sorry, mother. I went to the market and got what you wanted… I also met someone. A girl. Her name is Bella. I am going to go see her again tomorrow. I escorted her home and got to know her a bit, and I think I'm in love with her already." I didn't wait for her to respond. I took the meat to the icebox and hurriedly went to my room.

I laid in my bed, just picturing the life I would have with Bella. After I came home from war first, of course. I knew that if our feelings were strong enough, she would wait for me. Perhaps we would marry before I went. Maybe we would have a child on the way that I would meet after my return.

The more I thought about going off to war, the more the ache in my chest would throb. Perhaps I wasn't meant to leave Bella. My dreams of war may not happen. I didn't think I would be able to deal with this pain much longer. Now that I thought about it, when I was standing next to her the ache wasn't there. What did that mean?

My mother finally pulled me out my daydreaming by calling me down for supper. She smiled at me as I took my seat.

"Tell me more about this girl, Edward. What do you know about her?"

"Well, like I said. I just met her, and I don't know a lot of details. She has long brown hair and chocolate eyes. She works at the hospital with Dr. Cullen. You know, the doctor who basically saved all those people who were in the streetcar accident? Well I promised to go see her tomorrow at three pm, and then we were going to head towards the park to hopefully get to know each other better."

"Oh, that won't do at all. You must bring her here. I think we should all get to know her. I'll prepare dinner and everything." My mother stated, leaving no room for argument.

"So this girl. You said you met her at the market and she works at the hospital? Weren't you just worried about girls being after you for financial gain? Don't you think this girl might be as well?" My father asked in his surly tone.

"No, father. I don't think that is the case here. I will let you judge her for yourself tomorrow at dinner." I left it at that and finished my meal.

School could not hold my attention as I counted the minutes until I could meet Bella again, but there was still plenty of time for that. My mother was planning on making the roast I got for her yesterday. I hoped Bella would enjoy the meal. When we got home, in order for me to distract myself I played the piano for the entire afternoon. When two o'clock came I headed out to take the streetcar back to the hospital.

When I walked into the hospital, there was a young woman sitting at the front desk. I walked up to her and patiently waited for her to acknowledge me. When she did finally look up, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Her voice was shrill and a little too bubbly.

"Yes, I'm looking for Isabella Swan. She works with Dr. Cullen."

"Oh…" Her tone changed instantly. "Let me call upstairs and see if they are out of the operating room. One moment please." I nodded my head and waited while she made the call. I wasn't paying attention to what she was saying.

"Bella will be down in a moment. I can't let you up there since it is the surgery wing. You can sit over there and wait."

"Thank you very much." I told her as I walked away from her towards the chairs.

"Edward! You came!" I heard her voice from behind me and my heart started to flutter in my chest. I stood and turned around, almost tripping over myself in my haste to see her.

"Of course I did; I promised I would." I took her hand in mine and kissed it. Manners be damned. She giggled at my display.

"Carlisle said I could go. He's going to stay and watch over our patient that just had surgery. If you don't mind, I need to go to my house and take a shower, then we can go to the park."

"About the park, Bella. My mother has requested that we go to my house for dinner tonight, if you don't mind. She and my father both want to meet you." Her eyes widened, but she seemed calm.

"Sure, that sounds great. Let's go to my house first, though. I don't want to meet them looking like this."

I took her hand, and we walked out of the hospital and down the street to her house. We went in after she unlocked the door, and I was shocked to see that they seemed to almost be living in squalor. I have never seen a home so barren before. They only had the basics, and it was all mismatched.

As I was looking around, Bella must have been watching me. She let out a laugh and then walked towards me.

"I know it's not much, but Carlisle didn't see the point in anything more since he lived alone until I moved in with him after I arrived in Chicago. We spend so much time at the hospital that this is really just a place to eat and sleep."

' _When she got to Chicago? She's not from here?'_

"You're not from around here?" I asked her, surprised.

"No, I'm not. How about I tell you about it at dinner? I'm sure your parents will want to know too, and I don't want to have to repeat it." I started to wonder if she was running from something.

"Oh, okay. That makes sense actually."

"Why don't you make yourself at home, and I will go get ready." I nodded at her as she turned and headed up the stairs.

I walked around the downstairs and noticed that there weren't even pictures on the walls. There was, however, a large wooden cross hanging on the wall above the fireplace. I thought it was odd, but who was I to question it? I didn't know Dr. Cullen that well.

It wasn't too long before I heard Bella's footsteps on the stairs again. I looked up and was stunned speechless. She was wearing a royal blue dress, and her hair was pulled to one side, exposing the other side of her neck. The color of the dress made her skin look porcelain. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

"You look beautiful, Bella. Are you ready to go? We will have to take the streetcars over to my house." I took me a minute to find the words, and I was surprised that I didn't stutter.

"Yes, I'm ready. I am a little nervous to be meeting your parents, though." All I could do was smile at her. I didn't have a way to soothe her nerves. I wasn't worried about my mother, but my father may be difficult to convince.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Bella was quiet on the ride to my house. I figured she was really just that nervous. I held her hand the entire way, and she would smile at me then squeeze my hand back. It was very comforting.

We got off the streetcar at the end of my street, and Bella stared at all the houses as we passed them.

"I haven't had the chance to come over to this side of town; these houses are so beautiful." She stated in awe. I smiled. I knew then that she didn't care if I was rich or poor, and that made me feel lighter. I don't know why I had such a hard time accepting that the girls at school were looking for social and financial status. I just didn't want a marriage based on money.

We got to the gate of my house, and Bella stopped at the entrance. I heard her take a large breath from next to me. She took my hand in hers, and I noticed it was shaking slightly.

"Bella, it will be okay. I am positive that my parents are just going to love you. How could they not?"

"I don't know, Edward. They may think differently after hearing my story." Oh right, I forgot about that. I forgot that she hasn't really told me anything about herself.

"It will be alright, I promise. Come on, my mother is waiting." I pointed to the window where my mother was standing with the curtain pulled back.

We walked into the house, and my mother was standing near the door smiling at us.

"Mom, this is Isabella Swan. Bella, this is my mother, Elizabeth." I introduced them as my mother scrutinized Bella.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella. Please, come in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Masen. It's wonderful to meet you as well." Bella's tone sounded off to me, but perhaps it was just her nerves.

"Edward, your father should be home within the hour. Dinner will be served promptly after his arrival. Why don't you show Bella around the house?"

"Thank you, mom. If you need help in the kitchen just let us know."

I turned to Bella and took her hand, pulling her through the house. She didn't seem uncomfortable as I showed her around, pointing out various pictures and antiques. I was worried that with the way that her home was so empty, she would balk at the amount of things we had. But she soaked in all the information that I gave her, and that was enough for me.

I never did get to show her around the upstairs. I was nervous showing her my room. I really wanted to show her me, which is what my room was. My father saved me from that by coming home just as we were heading towards the stairs.

"Hello father. This is Isabella. Bella, this is my father, Edward Sr." I introduced them the same way I did with my mother.

"Hello, Mr. Masen. It's a pleasure to meet you. You have a very lovely home." She said politely.

"Thanks goes to my wife. She is the one who has made it a home. It's nice to meet you as well."

With that, he went into his office to drop off his brief case before heading out to the table where my mother was setting dinner out.

"Edward, Bella, dinner is served." I looked at Bella and smiled. I placed her hand in the crook of my elbow and escorted her to the table where I pulled her seat out for her.

She looked up at me, slightly confused.

"Thank you, Edward." She said, though it sounded like a question.

"Of course." I replied and then took my own seat.

My father served himself, and then passed the dishes off to my mother. The dishes were passed around, and once we were settled in to eat, my mother prompted Bella to tell us about herself. I was grateful for it, as I didn't know where to begin.

"Bella, please tell us about yourself." My mother's tone was polite, yet curious.

"Well, I'm eighteen. I'm from New York, a small town just north of the Hudson Valley. My parents died a year ago. I was planning on living in their home, but it was too big for just me. I decided to sell the home and land before traveling west. I heard that Chicago was full of opportunities so I decided to come here. I lived in a boarding house for a few weeks, and then Dr. Cullen offered me a room in his house. I'm his personal nurse, and our hours are very demanding. He lives a block from the hospital, so it was easier for me to live there than it was at the boarding house.

"Before you ask, no, I did not leave anyone behind. I was not engaged, nor was I courting anyone. I never had time for any of that, nor did anyone ever show any interest in me."

I was surprised that she didn't have any suitors, and I was sorry to hear about her parents. I took her hand in mine under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Now that you know who I am, I hope you won't look down on me too much. I am alone, and honestly, I am quite happy with my life." She said in defense from my father's penetrating gaze.

"So, you have no social standing here in Chicago?" My father questioned.

"No, I'm not interested in being a socialite. It seems like too much of a hassle for me. I enjoy working at the hospital with Carlisle."

"If you begin courting Edward, what can you bring to the relationship? Since you are so independent, will you be able to give that up and let him support you in everything?" My father asked.

"I don't know if I could completely give up my independence. I like the things that I do, and I like to work. I'm sure if our relationship progresses, I would quit my job. Though at this time, I do not plan on doing that, just in case things don't work out. I hope you understand." Bella's tone was very confident that she wouldn't just roll over and let me take over. I don't think I would want her to either.

"Very well." My father said to her, and then he continued with his meal.

I looked over to my mother, displaying my confusion. She just smiled and nodded. Then she seemed to take another look at Bella, and her smile got bigger. She looked away quickly after that, and I looked to Bella who also looked confused. I just shrugged my shoulders at her and went back to eating.

It was silent as we finished our meal. When the plates were empty and my mother got up to clear it away, Bella stood as well.

"Can I help you with anything, Mrs. Masen?" Bella asked as she started to reach for my plate.

"Please, Bella, call me Elizabeth. And no, thank you, I can do it. Edward? Why don't you show Bella the piano and maybe play something for her?" It was my mother's way of dismissing me.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. But if you do need something please call for me, I am happy to help." Bella told her as she looked back at me.

Bella didn't see the look my mother gave her. She seemed elated with Bella, which made me happy. At least I had my mother's approval.

"Come on, Bella, let me play for you." I led her to the parlor where the piano was.

"Edward? Can you come into the kitchen and help me for a minute please?" My mother called out to me as I was getting ready to play the piano for Bella.

I walked into the kitchen, and she was standing at the counter with a shy smile on her face.

"Edward, I can see that you love that girl very much. It is apparent that she feels the same for you. I want to give you this, and I hope that you use it right away. I know this is very out of ordinary, but I don't think you need to court her. You need to just propose to her. This situation is very different from a normal one. She has no one you need permission from."

I gawked at her. Was she actually condoning this? Don't get me wrong, I was all for skipping the long drawn out process of courting her.

"Are you sure, mother? Do you think father will approve of this?" I asked out of politeness.

"Do you really need his approval, Edward? I think it only matters to you, and to Bella of course. I don't think she will decline your proposal. Do it today before you escort her home."

Oh… okay… my heart was hammering in my chest as I took the ring from her outstretched hand. I stared at it for a long time. Would Bella like it? It was very delicate. It was oblong with many tiny diamonds weaved into it.

"I hope you both like it. Your father gave me that ring on our first wedding anniversary, and I thought it would be a very fitting engagement ring for you to give her. She doesn't seem like the type of girl to want a huge diamond on her finger." She sounded nervous for some reason.

"Thank you, mom. I am sure she will just love it. I am going to go out there and play a song for her. Would you like to come out and listen too?" I asked her. I think I wanted her to be there when I asked Bella to be my wife.

"Sure, I'll be out in a minute. Go to her." I hugged her before I turned to go back out to the parlor. I was really nervous all of a sudden.

Bella was still sitting at the piano bench, lightly touching the ivory keys with her fingertips.

"Do you play, Bella?" I asked. Maybe we could play a song together.

"No, I don't play. I never took to it when I was young." She sounded sad again.

"Here, let me play something for you. I know just the song." I sat down at the bench and took a deep breath. I began to play a song from my favorite composer, Debussy.

The song was called _Deux Arabesques_. It was charming and very feminine. I learned to play this song when I was fifteen. It was one of my mother's favorites.

As the song went on, Bella moved closer to me and put her head on my shoulder. Lost as I was in the music, I thought I heard her sniffle at one point. The song went on, and I was truly enjoying playing for Bella. I also enjoyed the contact with her. It was perfect.

When the song ended, I sat there for a few minutes collecting my emotions. Bella lifted her head, and I saw a tear slip down her cheek. I wiped it away and smiled at her.

"Did that make you sad? I thought it was a fitting piece." I told her.

"No, not sad. You play beautifully. It just reminded me of something." Perhaps it reminded her of her parents. I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to pry.

I took a deep breath, steeling my nerves. I knew now was the perfect time to ask her.

"Bella. I know we've only just met, but I already know that I love you and that I will love you forever. I don't want to waste any time with you. Will you please be my wife?" I took the ring out of my pocket and presented it to her.

She put her hand in front of her mouth and gasped, staring wide-eyed at me. Another tear slipped down her cheek. I was beginning to panic when she finally removed her hand and she smiled at me.

"Yes, Edward. I would be honored to be your wife." A tear slipped out of my eye at her acceptance, and my other hand came up to cup her cheek.

I leaned in and kissed her for the first time. It was like magic. Her lips on mine were so soft and smooth, and an electric current ran through me like a jolt. I could stay like this forever; the feeling was euphoric. Sadly, the kiss didn't last as she pulled away and took a breath.

I stared into her eyes for a moment longer and then slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit her perfectly and looked like it has always belonged there.

She looked down at the ring and smiled lovingly, then ran her finger ever so gently over it.

"It was my mother's ring. She gave it to me just now to propose to you. I hope you like it. If not, we can get something different." I told her nervously.

"No, Edward, it's perfect. Thank you. I love you too."

I hoped and prayed at that moment I was fully awake. If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up from it.

 _She said yes…._

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

I just had to write in that piano scene. It took forever to find a fitting song for it.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thanks for reading!


	5. Bella 1917-18

I am still working on Chapter 6…. Alice is giving me a real hard time! But I thought I would give you another taste!

This chapter has not been edited. Any mistakes are mine.

Let's see how Bella felt about the proposal…

As always, please let me know what you thought of this chapter.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Bella POV 1917-1918:

I waited patiently for Edward to return from helping his mother. The piano keys called to me as I remembered and then mourned for the lullaby Edward wrote for me when we first starting seeing each other. I stroked the keys to keep the tears at bay.

When Edward came back out and asked if I played, I couldn't keep the sadness out of my voice. He looked at me for a moment, studying my face. Then his eyes lit up.

" _Here, let me play something for you. I know just the song."_ I nodded at him; I definitely wanted to hear him play. I knew whatever it was it would sound beautiful.

This song was familiar to me it was one by Debussy. He played it for me once before… before he left me. As he played, I couldn't help but lay my head on his shoulder, just like I used to do. The memories came crashing over me, and I couldn't help but cry. I tried to sniffle as quietly as possible, and I hoped he didn't hear it.

I could feel the electric current running through me at the contact we shared. This feeling would never get old for me, and I hoped he felt it too. The song came to an end, and we sat there for a few minutes. I wasn't sure if he was uncomfortable with me leaning on him, so I lifted my face to his. As I moved I felt a lone tear trail down my cheek. Edward gently wiped it away and smiled at me.

" _Did that make you sad? I thought it was a fitting piece."_ He asked me.

"No, not sad. You play beautifully. It just reminded me of something." I wasn't ready to tell him about his life in the future, and I hoped he wouldn't hate me when I did tell him.

He seemed so nervous all of a sudden, and I didn't understand it. He took a deep breath and turned to me, and suddenly I was nervous.

" _Bella. I know we've only just met, but I already know that I love you, and that I will love you forever. I don't want to waste any time with you. Will you please be my wife?"_ I covered my mouth and gasped, staring at him. Was he really proposing already? Wasn't it a little soon for that? I wanted to question him, but now wasn't the time for that. I knew without a doubt what my answer would be regardless of how soon it seemed.

Edward had a look of panic in his eyes as I realized I had kept him waiting too long for an answer.

"Yes Edward. I would be honored to be your wife." I spoke softly, and a tear fell down his cheek. He brought his hand up and cupped my cheek.

He leaned in and kissed me. His lips were soft, and melded into mine. The electric jolted through me, and a feeling of euphoria overtook me. I could kiss this man forever, and do nothing else for the rest of my days and still die happily. Sadly I needed to breathe, and I knew he did too, so I pulled away.

Our eyes met, and there was so much love in his that I almost cried again. Then I felt him slip a ring onto my finger. I looked down at it, and smiled. I wondered if I would have gotten this ring had he not left me. I ran my finger over it lightly, marveling at how it just seemed to belong there. I was also shocked that it fit me perfectly.

" _It was my mothers ring. She gave it to me just now to propose to you. I hope you like it, if not, we can get something different."_ He told me nervously, I would never want anything different.

"No Edward, it's perfect. Thank you. I love you too."

"I love you as well my Bella. I should probably escort you home soon." He smiled my way, but his smile was sad.

I knew this sadness; I didn't want to part from him either, it was necessary though.

"Bella, before you go, could I speak to you and Edward for a moment?" Elizabeth came out from the kitchen then. I knew she gave Edward the ring, but did she really approve of the sudden engagement?

Edward and I followed her into the sitting room where she had a tray of tea sitting for us.

"Bella, I can see the uncertainty in your eyes, and I just wanted to first reassure you that I do approve of this match. I can see it in Edward's eyes that he already loves you, and if he is anything like me, then his love will be forever and unbending.

Now, I wanted to ask you a few things about the wedding. When would you want to be married? Do you think the guest list will be large? And what about a dress? Have you seen anything in any of the shops you may have liked?"

Whoa! I just got engaged five minutes ago!

"I'd really like to talk with Edward more on a time frame, if that's alright. As for the guest list on my side, I don't have any family left. So I would probably invite Carlisle, Annabelle and Thomas. That's the extent of the people I know here in Chicago. As for a dress, no, I haven't seen anything, though I haven't visited any stores that offer wedding dresses."

Elizabeth looked at me for a moment, and then frowned slightly.

"Perhaps we could go out together and look around if you'd like. Just send me your schedule so we can pick a time and day. I'm also very sorry you have no one to witness such a union of love." Her voice was sincere, and it briefly made me sad that my mother and father wouldn't be able to witness this marriage.

"Oh, Edward your father wanted to see you in his office before you left. Why don't you go in and see him, and I'll get to know Bella more."

Edward left the room without a word and I was left alone with Elizabeth. She didn't make me uncomfortable, but I was slightly intimidated by her. I think it was because of the fondness Edward expressed when we would talk about her. I was always sad that I would never know her, and now that I have that chance it was nerve wracking.

"Bella, I know we discussed what brought you to Chicago, and I don't want to go over that again, but I would love to know more about you. What are your hobbies? Why did you become a nurse? What do you really want to do?"

"My only true hobby is reading. I love ' _Wuthering Heights'_ , _'Romeo and Juliet'_ , _'Emma'_ , books of that nature. I do like to cook as well, I love to come up with new recipes, or experiment with them to make something different.

"I don't know why I became a nurse really, I thought it would be something useful in this time of war. And I am learning a great deal from Carlisle, and maybe someday I could become a doctor like him."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at my statement, and I quickly realized my mistake. In this time period women did not become doctors or anything if they were married. They were to stay home, run the house, and raise the children.

"You'll have to forgive me Elizabeth, I'm still adjusting to the thought of marriage and what that will really involve. I forgot that I would no longer be allowed my complete independence, and would need to allow Edward to care for me financially."

Before Elizabeth could respond, I heard a door slam from down the hall, and suddenly Edward stomped his way into the room. He looked angry, and was shaking slightly.

"Bella, I am sorry for the interruption, but it is time I take you home. Mother, I apologize, I will have Bella give me an idea of her schedule so you may plan accordingly for your plans."

Edward sounded so formal, it was almost comical, and hopefully he would tell me what had him so upset. As I stood, he took my hand and started to lead me to the front door. He helped me into my coat, and practically dragged me outside.

Elizabeth called out her goodbye just as the door swung shut, but there was no point in replying to her, she wouldn't hear it.

Edward led me to the car instead of taking me out to the road to the streetcar stop. Like a true gentleman he opened the door for me and helped me inside, and shut the door.

When he took his seat next to me, he sat there for a few moments breathing hard. Then he ran his hands through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Edward" I said softly, genuinely worried that I would upset him further. "Are you alright? What happened?"

He looked over at me, his eyes were on fire, and I couldn't help the rush of desire that ran through me in that moment. I wanted to reach over and crush my lips to his in an attempt to tame the flames. His eyes cooled and softened a moment later, and I felt the desire leave me immediately.

"I'm so sorry for my anger. My father… he is not on board with our engagement, and wants to force you to sign a prenuptial agreement. I however do not think it is necessary. I want you to be happy, and I don't think forcing you to sign a piece of paper that would give you nothing in the event of something happening between us is the right way to start our union."

I nodded solemnly at his speech, I had a feeling this was the case. In this moment I wished I could tell him about the future we would have, to explain to him why signing a prenuptial agreement wouldn't matter, but I really needed to discuss this with Carlisle.

"Edward, I am sure your father is worried, and frankly I would be too. We did just meet yesterday, and now suddenly we are engaged. That is not how things are typically done, and you know that. It is obvious that your family is wealthy, and your father is just trying to protect his assets. There is nothing wrong with that, and I will gladly sign anything he requires."

He looked at me with wide eyes, and then smiled slightly.

"I knew there was something special about you Bella. I have been searching for a woman who wasn't after my family's money. The girls at school, they have been ruthless in attempting to get me to court them. I just had an argument with my father a few weeks ago about them, and he tried to set me up with one of his partner's daughter. She was in love with another. And I, well… I have been having dreams about you for quite some time now. You are literally the girl of my dreams, and I am so elated to have found you."

My entire being melted at his words, to know that despite the other girls who were after his attentions he chose me. I wondered if his dreams about me were just fates way of making sure we were together. I had always wondered if he would still choose me if he was human, and I suppose I got my answer here.

I was lost for words in response to his statement, so I just smiled at him in return. He started the car and pulled through the gate. The car ride was silent; Edward was concentrating on the road. As time went on the guilt started to wash over me, and I opened my mouth to tell Edward everything. About the flu, and being changed, and a life like none other, but I clamped my mouth shut at the last second. I was afraid to tell him, afraid that he would walk away from me.

When we finally pulled up outside my house, Edward quickly got out of the car and ran to my side to open the door for me and held my hand as I stepped outside. I looked up at the house and it was completely dark inside. Carlisle must still be at the hospital. That was just my luck.

"Thank you for a lovely evening Edward. It was wonderful to meet your parents." I told him as we walked up the stairs to the door.

"The pleasure was mine Bella." He smiled and leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

I smiled stupidly when we pulled apart. The feeling of him in my arms again was sublime, and I didn't know what to do with myself in these moments. The hole in my chest was gone, and it felt wonderful to breathe again.

"When will I see you again?" I asked him.

"Tomorrow perhaps, I'll stop by the hospital and we can go from there, and I will get your schedule for my mom then too."

He squeezed my hand and then headed towards the stairs to leave. I stood there until he turned around, and then waved.

When I walked into the house, and Edward had gone, the pain washed over me like a ton of bricks. I didn't understand why it was happening again, I had Edward back in my life again, so this pain in my chest should have left me for good.

I fell to the floor, and grabbed my chest. Rocking back and forth with tears streaming down my face. And that is how Carlisle found me an hour later.

"Bella! What has happened?" He rushed through the door, and picked me up off the floor carrying me over to the couch.

"I could hear you screaming from a block away, I thought someone had accosted you."

I was screaming my pain? I hadn't even realized I was being vocal.

"Carlisle. I just don't understand what is happening to me. The hole in my chest is back, and the pain is killing me!"

"What?! What do you mean 'the hole in your chest?' I don't see any blood?" his voice was rising in volume as his confusion rose.

I tried to calm myself down, and wrap myself in a bubble to ease the pain, but it seemed to not be working as it did before. I managed to take a deep breath, and remind myself that Edward was just across town, and that he proposed to me. It helped, but only minutely.

"When Edward left me, taking your family with him, it felt like there was a dark hole sucking the life out of me. I lived like that for months, stuck in a loop of everything Edward told me. It was never ending, and I couldn't breathe, or eat, or barely move. It was all I could do to function in my day-to-day activities.

"I've been with Edward practically all day today and the pain was gone, then when he dropped me off here, and was out of my sight the pain came crashing back over me, and pulled me under. I know he is only at his house across town, but I don't think it matters to my battered wounds."

Carlisle stared at me for a few moments, his face scrunching in contemplation.

"I've seen this before with Marcus, he's one of the leaders of the Volturi. His wife Didyme was murdered, and he has been living much like you were for a very long time now. It is what happens when mates are separated in any type of forceful way.

"You will need to learn to control the feelings to be able to pull yourself together for a while Bella. It is the only advice I can give you at this time. Since you are not physically injured, this is a mental and emotional injury, and probably made worse because it is still raw. I can do some more research and see if there are any other cases of forceful separations. But lets not talk about it now. Tell me about your day with Edward."

I knew he was trying to keep me talking and hopeful to keep my mind off the pain so why not? It was also a great time to talk to him about my guilt.

"It was a wonderful day Carlisle. I met Edward Sr. and Elizabeth, Edward's parents. We had dinner, and Edward played the piano for me. And Edward proposed to me. Of course I said yes. But now I need to talk to you about something else that is bothering me."

"You got engaged today? Congratulations!" He smiled down at me, and smiled in return. I knew this was definitely a happy occasion.

"Thank you Carlisle, but I must admit that I feel awful. I feel like I am deceiving Edward with not telling him of what is to come. What happens if he doesn't want this life with me? I'm afraid to tell him, afraid he will walk away from me and all will be lost again."

"I don't think you need to worry about that Bella. I don't think Edward would walk away from you. But I must caution you against telling him right now. You know the Edward of your time, the vampire. I'm not trying to diminish your trust, but this Edward is human and lacks the life experience, so therefore I don't know if he is trustworthy with such a secret. Please do not tell him of what is to come, he may not understand fully. You will know when the time is right."

I looked at him for a long time, really hoping that he was right and Edward would understand when I told him.

"All right, I'll take your word for it. I just hope that you are right in this Carlisle. I know this must be hard for you, and you are still adjusting to the story that I told you. And I am sure you are worried about the Volturi and having me around, and I promise to be cautious in this."

"Thank you for understanding." Was all he said.

We sat on the couch for a long time, lost in our own thoughts. Carlisle was perfectly still. I wondered if it was relaxing for him. I knew that putting on the human charade was tedious for them, always moving and fidgeting, so I bet that it was nice for him to just sit as he was meant to.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

I woke the next morning with a sore neck. I had fallen asleep on the couch sitting up and Carlisle was still sitting beside me.

"Carlisle? You stayed here all night? What are you doing?" I asked him, surprised to find him next to me still.

"Oh… nothing, just been thinking all night. Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

Oh no!

"Yes, I've done it since I was little. Edward would climb in my window at night and watch over me, and he would tell me some of the things I would say. Since he couldn't read my mind, he found it fascinating."

"Read your mind?" Carlisle was surprised. Didn't I tell him of his family's gifts?

"Did I never tell you that your family would be very talented?"

"No, you didn't. Tell me now this seems interesting."

"Well, Edward is a mind reader, Emmett has super strength, Alice will tell the future, and Jasper is an empath, he can control emotions. You, Rosalie, and Esme are not really talented with gifts, but you have your ability to be a doctor and your compassion, Rosalie will have her beauty and her stubbornness, and Esme will be very nurturing and loving."

"Oh, those are some pretty powerful talents. And what about you? Do you think you will be gifted?"

"I've never thought about it actually. All I know is that Edward was unable to hear my thoughts."

"Perhaps you will be, time will tell I suppose. But come on, lets go get ready for work."

"Oh yes, and Edward will be stopping by the hospital at the end of my shift. I'm not sure if we will venture out today or not."

Time passed slowly at the hospital, as we only had two patients on the floor. I never knew that people were healthier during this time period; I thought healthcare was worse due to the un-advanced medical equipment and testing. I guess I would have to say that it was due to the food not being produced the way it will in the future, with chemicals and whatever else they do to it.

"Bella, I have some more research papers to be filed if you wouldn't mind." Carlisle found me sitting in the surgical waiting room staring at the wall. I was bored out of my mind and counting the seconds on the clock.

"Sure, I can do that. Come get me if anything interesting happens." I smiled wryly at him and headed to his office.

I looked up at the clock when all the papers were filed and realized that only an hour had passed. It was now only noon, and I didn't know what to do with myself. I ventured out into the hallway to find it as silent as ever, and no one to be seen.

Carlisle was now sitting in the waiting room, reading a book. At my approach he looked up and smiled.

"That didn't take long. Why don't you leave for the day, go surprise Edward and spend the day with him."

"Are you sure? What if something happens and you need my help?" I asked, you just never knew when there would be an emergency.

"Don't worry about that Bella, there are other nurses here that have worked with me before, and they know what they are doing. Go! Go be with your Edward."

I wasn't going to argue further. Maybe I could surprise him at school today. I hope he wouldn't mind that.

"Thanks Carlisle, I'll see you this evening then." I told him as I walked out of the room and towards the stairs.

I went home and quickly changed out of my nurse's uniform and into something more suitable to meet with Edward and his parents again. Getting dressed in all these layers of clothes wasn't as daunting as it once was either, so it didn't take me any time at all.

I was also lucky that I was able to catch the streetcar just a few minutes after I arrived at the stop. Thankfully I remembered the streetcar route from yesterday; otherwise I'm sure I would have gotten lost. The ride didn't seem as long as yesterday either.

When I got on Edward's street and off the streetcar, I realized that I had no idea where his school was. I walked towards his house and stood in front of the gate, trying to muster up the courage to knock on the door and ask Elizabeth about it.

Just as I took a deep breath and took hold of the gate to open it Elizabeth came out on to the porch.

"Bella? Is that you? I wasn't expecting you today. Please come in." She called out from the porch.

I smiled and pushed through the gate. And walked down the short driveway to the house.

"Hello Elizabeth, sorry to stop by unannounced, I was planning on going to surprise Edward at school, I got off work early. But when I got over here I realized that I didn't know where his school was." I smiled sheepishly at her, and she returned the smile.

"Of course dear. It's actually just down another block. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the surprise. In fact it's perfect timing, by the time you get there they should be coming out for the day. I won't hold you here, go see him, and I'll wait for you and him to return."

"Thank you." And back down the driveway I went.

I walked down the block and found the sign for the school. Then I had to decide where I wanted to wait. Should I wait out here on the sidewalk like a creepy stalker, or should I approach the stairs and wait near the doors?

Deciding it would be better to wait near the doors I entered the yard and stood off to the side so I wasn't ran over when the students left the building. Elizabeth was right; kids started leaving the building as soon as I got near the entrance.

I felt him before I saw him. The current started running through me, and I realized how much I missed the feeling. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face if I wanted to. The current was getting stronger as the seconds passed, and the anticipation of seeing him was building to a crescendo. Then, when I thought my chest was going to burst, he slammed through the doors and was wildly looking around, almost in a panic.

Our eyes met finally, and it seemed like he sighed in relief.

"Bella! What are you doing here?" He called from the top of the stairs. Several people stopped and stared in his direction as he flew down the stairs and came towards me.

He grabbed me in an iron tight hug, picking me up and spinning me around. I was laughing at his excitement.

"I was able to leave the hospital early, and thought I would come surprise you. I had to stop at your house and ask your mom where to find the school-" I was cut off by a voice calling out to Edward.

"Edward? Who is this?" I looked in the direction of the voice to find a boy looking curiously at us.

"Oh Charles, this is Isabella Swan, my fiancée." Edward said a bit too loudly, while glancing around him.

I glanced around as well, and found several girls staring, with their mouths agape.

"Bella, this is my best friend Charles. We've been friends since we were small."

I extended my hand out to him.

"It's nice to meet you Charles." He took my hand in his and I shook it, and suddenly he was looking at me strangely.

"Likewise. You're not from around here are you?" What an odd question.

"No, I'm from New York."

"Ah, that explains it. You carry yourself different than other girls. You seem more outgoing."

"Charles! Don't be rude!" Edward's harsh whisper came from beside me.

"It's alright Edward, I don't mind." I smiled over to him, and then I noticed a girl staring angrily in our direction.

She whispered to the girl beside her, and then stalked her way over towards us. The scowl on her face was comical, and I couldn't help but smirk at her anger.

"Edward…" The whine in her tone however was not amusing. "Why haven't you answered me about our date in the park? You've been avoiding me all day, and I demand my answer."

Her blue eyes were burning with jealously as she smirked at him and looked at me with disgust.

"Regina, I told you already I was engaged and that I was not interested in dating you. Thank you for your offer, but I am now off the market." Edward's tone was one of patience, but I could hear the annoyance that was underneath.

"You never told me that, and quite frankly I don't see this engagement lasting." Was she serious?

I took a breath to say something, but Edward tightened his grip around my waist.

"Bella, come on, I want to show you the park, and Charles and I were going to play catch for a while since it is a little warmer today. Want to come and watch? Don't mind Regina, she's just mad I'm not interested in her." He always was good at avoiding or rather ignoring others affections.

"Sure Edward, I'd love that. Oh your mother said she'd be waiting for us to return when I stopped to see her on my way here." I smiled at him, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips while Regina watched and went pale.

"Alright love. Lets go to the park, and then Charles and I can throw the ball at my house. Come on Charles, join us." Edward looked back to get Charles's attention.

We walked through the park, entering through the gate across from the school, and Edward showed me several of the statues in the park. There was still snow on the ground, so we didn't linger. We left the park through another gate closer to Edwards house. Charles was quite, walking behind us and I felt bad that Edward seemed to be ignoring him.

Trying to liven up the mood I swept down and picked up a handful of snow and threw it at Edward. Then scooped up some more and threw it at Charles. This had them chasing each other and throwing snowballs back and forth. I got a few shots in and aimed for them both.

Edward picked up a handful of snow and stalked towards me, there was a predatory look in his eyes as he approached, and I decided to play it up and run from him. Of course with as clumsy as I am, when he reached out to me with the snow I tripped and fell face first into the snow.

I froze for a minute and just reveled in being so carefree in this moment. It was nice not to be so serious for a moment, and not to worry about caring for someone else.

"Bella! Are you alright?" Edward's worried voice called out. I could tell that he was almost hovering over me.

I flipped myself over so I wasn't laying face first in the snow and let out a peal of laughter.

"I'm fine! That was great!" I told them both, as Charles also rushed over to make sure I was okay.

Edward reached his hand out to me as I sat up, and he pulled me off the ground. I smiled and thanked him, and brushed the snow off my coat. Edward placed my hand in the crook of his elbow and escorted me the rest of the way down the street to his house.

"Good afternoon Charles! I'm glad you came over today." Elizabeth exclaimed as she rushed to hug him.

"Good afternoon Elizabeth! Edward and I were planning on playing catch for a while." He replied with a smile.

"It's cold out there, please don't stay out too long. Ill make some cocoa and I think I have some cookies too." Elizabeth told them.

Edward led Charles to the front closet and they got some balls and two gloves out.

"Bella, did you want to come out with us?" Edward turned to me with his hand on the doorknob.

"No, I think I will stay in here where it is warm now. I'll help your mom with dinner." I replied to him, I smiled and turned to find Elizabeth smiling at me.

"I think you are going to be good for him Bella. I see a light in his eyes that hasn't been there before. I know I am excited to welcome you to the family."

"Thank you for that. I have been so worried that things would not go over well when Edward proposed to me. It is wonderful to know I am accepted." I told her as we walked into to the kitchen.

"I don't need help with dinner, it is already done, and I made extra today so there will be enough for everyone."

I sat at the breakfast table with Elizabeth and she asked me more questions about the wedding. I told her again that my guest list would be short, and that I still did not have a vision for my dress. I knew I still had time, but the thought was daunting. I did want it to be perfect. I told her I would like for Edward to be involved in some of the decisions. She agreed that it would be good for him.

After a while Edward and Charles came in and put their things away, Elizabeth made them some cocoa while I set the table for her. And then Edward's father came come. He seemed to be in a better mood today, or at least he was being polite.

"Hello Bella, it's nice to see you today." He said as he went into his office. He came out a few minutes later and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek.

"Dinner smells wonderful." He added as he walked into the sitting room.

After Edward and Charles cleaned up their dishes from the cocoa Elizabeth called everyone to the dining room.

Dinner was uneventful; we listened to Edward talk about the case he was working on. Apparently one of the grocery stores was suing another one down the block for stealing customers. It seemed so mundane, and I wound up drifting off in my thoughts wondering about Alice.

It was always speculated that she had visions as a human, but she could never confirm it since she couldn't remember. I wondered if she would have visions of me and the rest of the family before she was changed.

"Bella, were you able to get a schedule from Dr. Cullen? Id like to start preparing for the wedding soon, and would love to be able to spend time with you." Elizabeth dragged me out of my musings of Alice.

"Oh yes! I'm sorry, I forgot all about it. I work everyday except Sunday's and only from the hours of seven and two. Carlisle said that with the wedding coming he would work on finding another nurse to cover the afternoon and evening hours for me. Now that I have another purpose, I will enjoy being away from the hospital more."

"Wonderful. I'll be sure to have a car sent for you at your home everyday at three."

It took me a moment to realize that Edward's family was wealthy and could have a car sent. I wasn't going to complain, it would be better than having to take the streetcar everyday.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

"Bella, this is the best shop in town. I'm sure we will find a beautiful pattern and fabric for your gown."

Elizabeth and I have scoured the entire city of Chicago for the past three months looking for a wedding dress. Nothing has appealed to me as of yet, so we decided to look through the sewing shops to find a pattern for a dress to make ourselves if we can find the perfect one, along with the right material.

I didn't even really know what I wanted my dress to look like. I just knew what everyone always said. 'You'll know the right one when you see it and try it on'. So I was banking on that knowledge.

I sighed and followed Elizabeth into the shop, and was amazed by all the fabric inside. It was everywhere, from the floor up to the ceiling.

"Hello, and welcome. Can I help you find anything?" A woman with graying hair asked from behind a sewing machine.

"Good afternoon Gloria, this is Bella, Edward's fiancée. We have been looking for a wedding dress for months, but Bella here has not found anything to her fancy. We've decided to look for a pattern, and make it ourselves. Can you point us in the direction of your dress patterns please?"

"Oh Elizabeth! I didn't recognize you! How have you been dear?" The woman asked.

"I've been well, thank you."

Gloria came around the sewing machine and led us to the back of the shop, where there was a cabinet that she opened with drawers inside. She opened the bottom three.

"All the dress patterns are in here. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for. Let me know when you find something." She smiled and walked back to the front of the store. And after a few minutes I could here the sound of the sewing machine.

I was almost to the end of the third drawer when I found it. The photo of the dress was in black and white, but it was stunning. The bust line was low cut, but tied at the top of the breastplate. The skirt was layered tulle, to make it so you couldn't see through it. Then it was draped with flowered lace. The train was long, and the sleeves were short.

I held the pattern out to Elizabeth and smiled wide at her. Her eyes popped when she looked at it.

"Bella, I think this is perfect! You don't seem like the girl who wants the high collared dress. And I think we can get this made in the next few months. Let's go back and see Gloria and see what she has for material."

Gloria was bent over the machine carefully sewing two pieces of material together. We stood there and waited for her to look up. Once she finished her line she looked up and smiled.

"I hope you found something you liked."

"I did, thank you." I said to her and handed her the pattern.

"This is one of my new ones." She looked at me for a long moment.

"Yes, I think it will be perfect! Elizabeth, I would love to make this for you. Please let me. I have the perfect material for it."

"We would love for you to make it. Could you have it done within the next two months? Bella and I have so much to do, it would be a blessing to not have this as well" Elizabeth told her, while looking at me for approval. I smiled and nodded.

"Perfect! Bella, I'll need to get started right away. Would you mind coming into the back room with me so I can get your measurements?"

"Of course." I responded and was led through the door in the back.

Gloria had me strip down to my undergarments, and she poked, prodded, and measured every inch of me. It took over a half hour to get everything she needed.

"Thank you Bella, I think that is all I will need. I will call Elizabeth when the dress is ready for fitting."

With that we left Gloria's shop and headed back to the house.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

It was the beginning of September and the wedding was only a few weeks away. Everything seemed like it was going too fast. Elizabeth had the menu set, Edward helped with the selections, and all the invitations had been sent out. They were expecting around one hundred guests to my mere three. I didn't let it bother me, the positives of being here with Edward far outweighed the negatives of not having my parents with me.

"Bella, Gloria called this morning and your dress is ready for the fitting. She is confident that you are going to love it even more once you put it on. She said she made some alterations." Elizabeth told me when I got to her house after my shift at the hospital.

"Perfect, would you like to accompany me?" I asked.

Elizabeth has been like a mother to me. I spent so much of my life taking care of my own mother, that it just seemed off to have a mother take care if me. I was grateful for it though.

"I would love to, why don't we go over tomorrow? We can just meet at her shop."

"That would work for me as well." I told her. There was no point in coming all the way over here to just go back across town.

The dress was stunning, and Gloria was right, I fell in love with it more when I got it on. Instead of the flowered lace that the picture had shown, Gloria used lace that had more of a gothic design.

"Thank you so much Gloria, this is better than I had expected it to be. I really like this lace design more so than the original pattern."

"I'm glad you like it dear. I found this at my home, and it just called out to me. I was worried in the beginning that you wouldn't like it." She told me, and she sighed.

I carefully took the dress off, and Gloria and Elizabeth carefully put it back in the garment bag. We talked for a few more minutes, then left.

Edward's father got home just as we were putting dinner on the table. Edward had gone over to Charles's house for the evening, but I didn't want to go home to an empty house. Carlisle has been spending more time at the hospital, but I never thought to ask him about it.

"Bella, I think we have everything ready for the wedding. Have you given any more thought about quitting your job after the wedding?" Elizabeth asked after our plates were made.

"I have, and honestly I don't think I could just quit. Perhaps I will only work two days a week and help Carlisle train a new nurse. I've been by his side for so long now that it just seems wrong just leaving him like that."

Elizabeth and Edward Sr. have been pressuring me for months to comply with the standards of this time period, and become a stay at home wife. It has been a rollercoaster struggle to go with it when I wasn't used to be taken care of.

"I think that is the best course of action. I can understand that this is a big change for you, so I will accept that." Elizabeth said after a few moments of consideration.

I was glad that they weren't trying to really force me into anything, but if I were going to blend in with social norms, I would need to do something.

When we were finished eating, Edward Sr. started talking about how he noticed that prices were starting to rise due to the costs of the war. I knew from my history lessons that this was the start of the Great Depression, even though it would take another few years for it to happen.

"It would be nice to find a way to fund the war without raising prices on everyday things." I said to add to the conversation.

"That would be something wouldn't it?" Edward said as he thought about it more.

We talked for a while more, but it was getting late and Edward was still not home, so I decided it was time to go home. Hopefully Carlisle would be home. I have been missing our conversations lately.

After refusing the car for the ride home, I said my good byes, and went to the streetcar stop to make my way home. Something seemed amiss on the ride, like I was forgetting something important.

I was reminded of it when I got home and found Carlisle sitting on the couch with his head down and his hands grasping his hair. He looked up when he realized that I was standing there.

"Bella I'm so glad you're home. I am finally finding the truth in your story. We got reports today of a sickness spreading through New York. It is definitely the flu, but this strain is much worse than anything we have ever seen."

"It's the Spanish Influenza Carlisle. There is going to be death surrounding us, and you should prepare yourself for all that loss. No matter what you do, people's immune systems won't be able to handle it. I'm sorry."

"Is there anything we can do to prevent it? Anything at all?"

I looked at him sadly. I knew this was going to be hard on him. And in a way I wished I would have never told him, but at least now he knew what to expect.

"I'm so sorry. In the future, there will be shots, immunizations you can get against this kind of thing, but right now, we just have to let it run it's course. The best thing for the flu is to stay hydrated, lots and lots of fluids, and make sure the patients eat something. Usually chicken broth, or soup would be best. That's the best I can offer you."

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

I was making my rounds with the four surgical patients we had this week when a nurse from the emergency room came running down the hall.

"Bella, your Edward is here and he has asked for you and Dr. Cullen. Please hurry."

My heart stopped and I froze. What has happened? Oh no!

"Bella! Come on. There is no point in panicking until we get down there!" Carlisle grabbed my arm and dragged me to the stairs. I still couldn't breathe.

We made it to the trauma room, and Edward was standing in the hall. Finally I could breathe. The emergency was not for him.

"Bella!" Edward called out and ran towards me.

"What's wrong Edward? What happened?" I asked as he hugged me tight to his chest.

"It's Charles, he has been feeling off for a week, and this morning he collapsed with a high fever, and horrible sweats. I didn't know what to do, so I told his mother that I would bring him here and have Carlisle look at him." He said quickly and Carlisle nodded to me and entered the room with Charles.

"Edward, please stay out here. I'll come out and update you as soon as I can." I followed Carlisle into the room with Charles, and found a pale man lying on the bed panting.

I had a feeling he wasn't going to make it, and for that I mourned already for the grief this will bring to Edward.

"Bella, how can we reduce this fever? I've never encountered one this high before." Carlisle whispered to me.

"Cool blankets, and set up an I.V. with fluids. I don't think he is going to make it until tomorrow, but we can try." I whispered back.

Carlisle ground his teeth, and started ordering the other nurses to do as I said, and also told them to put on a mask before entering the room again.

"Bella, you should have a mask on as well. We wont know for a few hours if the blankets and fluids will do any good, why don't you go out and sit with Edward."

"I wont get sick Carlisle." I protested, but Carlisle's eyes hardened.

"It doesn't matter Bella, it is time for pretenses, and you must act the part." He had me there.

I found Edward in the waiting room, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up at me when I sat down next to him and took his hand in mine.

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" He asked, the worry in his eyes made my heart sputter.

"Yes, there were reports a few weeks ago about soldiers coming home from the war and being deathly sick in New York. We didn't think it would spread this far West. But there is a flu, the Spanish Influenza. And it is far worse then any strain we have ever seen." I told him in a low soothing voice trying to soften the blow to him that Charles probably wouldn't make it.

"You never told me that."

' _There are a great many things I haven't told you yet Edward. '_ I thought to myself.

"It didn't seem important at the time, they thought it was contained in New York, and there was no need to worry. Are Charles's parents coming? Do we need to go get them, or send a messenger?" I asked to change the subject for a moment.

"We can send a messenger, I don't want to leave him alone."

I escorted Edward back to the main entrance and spoke quietly to the nurse taking care of the front desk. I had Edward give her the information to send the messenger with, and then we walked back to the waiting room.

About an hour later a woman and man came rushing in, eyes wild in panic.

"Edward! Has there been any news on Charles? Is he alright?" The woman exclaimed as she hugged Edward tight.

"No ma'am, we haven't heard anything yet. Oh, this is my fiancée Bella." Edward introduced me as he pulled me forward.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Charles's mother, Irene, and this is Hugh, his father."

"It is nice to meet you as well. Let me go see if I can find Carlisle and get an update for you." I let go of Edward's hand and walked to the room Charles was in.

There was a cart outside his door with a box of masks and a sign telling anyone who entered to use one. And hanging on the door was a red and white sign that read 'Quarantined'. I grabbed a mask and went into the room.

Carlisle was still in there watching Charles closely.

"Carlisle, his parents are here, and was wondering if there was any news. Would you like to come out and talk to them? How is he by the way?" I asked as he got up to follow me out.

"I'm afraid there is no good news, his condition is worsening by the hour, and I honestly do not think he will make it until morning. But I don't want to tell them that, nor do I want to give them false hope."

"It's as I feared then, I knew when he came in he wouldn't make it. His poor parents, and Edward too."

We approached the waiting room slowly, I was glad Carlisle would give this news.

"Ah, Dr. Martin it is nice to see you again, sorry it isn't under better circumstances."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen. How's my boy? What is wrong with him?"

"I'm afraid he has caught a very bad strain of the flu. It seems our soldiers have brought home the Spanish Influenza. They thought they had it contained in New York, but apparently someone slipped through. I'm afraid I have no good news for you. Charles's fever is extremely high, and I have had no luck in lowering it. Prepare yourselves, as I'm afraid he will not come out of it in time."

Carlisle's tone was soothing as he spoke, and now I knew why he had such good bedside manners. Usually doctors are so clinical and cold.

"No! No, no. No!" Irene wailed out as she threw herself back into her husband's arms.

"Would you like to come sit with him? I must caution you that this is a very contagious virus, and you may become sick as well. If you enter please put on a mask." Carlisle told them as he stood and walked back towards the room Charles was in.

I looked towards Edward and seen his eyes were shiny with tears. I grabbed his hand and held tight.

"Would you like to go sit with Charles a while Edward? I can stay out here so the family can have time." I told him. I was worried that he would fall ill as well, even though I knew he would, once his parents got sick.

"No, I think it would be best if I stayed out here for now, perhaps I will go in later."

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Morning came and sadly Charles passed away during the night in his sleep. His parents stayed by his side until the end. Edward was distraught that he never took the chance to go in and see him, and I silently rejoiced that he didn't witness the end of his friend. I think it would have killed him.

"Edward, I am so sorry about Charles. Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked softly while we still sat in the waiting room.

"Please accompany me home, and stay with me. I love you, and I don't want to be away from you right now." I knew the feeling of possibly losing someone was overwhelming, and I knew it was now time to prepare Carlisle for a new adventure.

"Of course Edward. Let's go to your house. A hot meal will do you good, and some real sleep. Your mother must be worried about you."

I took his hand in mine and led him out to the streetcar stop in front of the hospital. The ride seemed long today, and I heard a man sitting in the back coughing the entire ride.

With the costs rising, people were going to get sick very fast around here. And I wished I knew the actual date that Edward's father got sick on. It would have been helpful to pinpoint the conversation I was going to need to have with Edward.

We made it to his house finally, and Elizabeth flung the door open and ran out on the porch.

"Where have you two been? I was about to call the police!" She screeched.

"I'm sorry mom, we were at the hospital. Charles fell ill, and died last night."

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" Her voice was still shrill. And Edward looked at me pleadingly.

"Elizabeth, there is a strain of the flu that was brought over from the war. It is named the Spanish Influenza. It is very strong and deadly. The word was received a few weeks ago, but they thought it was contained in New York. It would seem that it got through and made it's way west. Charles caught it, and was too late getting to the hospital for treatment. His fever was too high, and we couldn't get it down. He passed away in his sleep last night."

"Oh my! Have you seen Irene and Hugh? I must go to them at once!"

"They are still at the hospital making arrangements. I would avoid the hospital right now, as that is the best place for the virus to spread." I told her as she ushered us into the house.

"Edward, you are dead on your feet. Go take a shower while I make you some breakfast. Bella, if you would like to freshen up as well, there are some fresh clothes in the guest room that should fit you."

I smiled at Edward; I knew this is exactly what he needed.

"Apparently you know best love. I'll be down in a few minutes, please relax as well, you have dark circles under your eyes." He kissed me on the cheek and went up the stairs as I went down the hall to the guest room.

Freshly dressed I went back out to the kitchen to see if Elizabeth needed any help. But she already had two steaming plates sitting at the dining room table. The plates were full of eggs, sausage, and toast. And there were two steaming cups of coffee as well.

"Thank you Elizabeth. This looks wonderful." She seemed distracted as she continued to bustle around the kitchen. It looked like she was getting ready to make biscuits.

"That's nice dear. When you're done eating, could you help me make a basket of food to take over to the Martins? They are going to need some comfort right now."

"Sure." I couldn't just tell her no, even though I had been up all night.

"Mom, Bella and I were up all night at the hospital, couldn't that wait until this afternoon? Then we could all go over to the Martins to give our condolences."

Edward said as he took his seat at the table and looked in her direction.

"What? Oh, yes of course! You both need some rest. I guess I should slow down." She stopped what she was doing and headed into the living room.

Edward and I ate in silence for a few moments. Before he looked at me and smiled sadly.

"Bella, I love you, and I love your independence, but I must implore you to stop working at the hospital. If you are around all those people that are potentially sick, I worry that I will lose you too." He said, and I didn't know how to refuse his request.

"I promise to take precautions, and to stay away from the sick as much as possible. I know Carlisle will want to treat them, that's just the kind of person he is. I could stay on the surgical floor. I will be safe there." I tried. But he was shaking his head.

"It's too much to risk, I can't lose you, not now. It would kill me." How do you say no to that?

"I'll talk to Carlisle later when I head home." It was the best I could do. He needed to rest, and I knew he wouldn't if we argued about me working.

"Fair enough." He said, then continued with his meal.

Later that evening, we went to the Martins, they only lived five houses down from Edward. Irene and Hugh were red eyed and distracted when we knocked on the door with the basket of food Elizabeth made while Edward and I were sleeping.

"Thank you Elizabeth, please come in." Irene said as she took the basket and motioned for us to enter the house.

"I'm so sorry to hear about what has happened, and if there is anything else we can to do to help please let us know." Elizabeth replied.

"Of course dear. We've made arrangements to have Charles transferred to the funeral home down the street. We will have his funeral in three days. Perhaps you can help make some food for after?" Irene said between sobs. I felt terrible, and didn't know the words to say to give her comfort, so I remained quiet by Edward's side.

"Yes, Bella and I would be more than happy to help with that task Irene." Elizabeth offered our services with a smile.

We didn't stay long. Irene and Hugh were too lost to be good company. I understood, and was glad to give them their space. I let Edward know that I needed to get home and talk to Carlisle about my job, but I needed to talk to him about something else as well.

I decided to take the streetcar again, so I could collect my thoughts in peace. The streetcars were generally empty at this time in the evening, so I knew I wouldn't be bothered.

The house was dark when I walked up the stairs, but that didn't mean it was empty. I learned that Carlisle liked to sit in the dark most nights. He had told me it was to give the pretense that he was sleeping.

He was there, the fire was low in the fireplace, and he had his head tilted backwards with his eyes closed.

"Carlisle? Are you alright?" I asked as I stepped into the room.

"No, not really. I had five more patients this afternoon come in with high fevers. I'm going to lose them all. This is going to be really hard isn't it?" He asked. The despair was thick in his tone as well.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, I wish there was something we could do to help more, but it needs to just run it's course. I need to talk to you about a few things if you're up to it."

He sat up straighter and gave me his full attention.

"Is something wrong? You're not experiencing symptoms are you?" Now he seemed panicked.

"No! It's nothing like that. But Edward expressed his worry about me working at the hospital and being around all those sick people. I have to agree with him. I may have had the vaccine, but I don't know if it will actually help if I am in the thick of the sickness so to speak."

"So you don't want to work with me anymore?" He asked sadly.

"I would love to, but I am torn between obligations. Do I go against Edward, and cause him worry and stress, and more likely to contract this flu? Or do I risk upsetting you?" I said as diplomatically as I could.

"I see your point, and I can agree with you. I don't want you getting sick as well."

"Well, that brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. With Edward's friend Charles dying already of the flu, I am afraid it is time for you to prepare to bring two new vampires into the world."

I watched as his eyes widened and he began to shake his head at me.

"Bella… I… I can't do that!" He exclaimed.

"Carlisle you must! Edward's father is going to fall ill and die soon, and then his mother is going to get sick. Edward will get sick too, and Elizabeth will beg you to save him, just as it was before. I will not be left alone either." My voice was hard, he needed to understand.

"We talked before, and at that time you speculated about the use of morphine to help with the process of the change. You didn't know if it would speed up the process or lock our bodies down, but I was willing to let you try it on me. But the time never came because you all left. If it works for us now, it will be much easier later when everyone else's time comes."

"I'll need to think about this. You don't know what you are asking." He said solemnly.

"Actually, I know exactly what I am asking for. And I know bringing two vampires into the world at once is going to be comparable to raising twins. And it is going to be a hard road to go down. Knowing that Edward and I are mates should help us get through this together better. He will die Carlisle, and then I will follow him. I must ask this of you Carlisle. If you were to ever do anything for me, this would be it. Please think about it. I don't want to lose you or him again. I couldn't bare it."

I pleaded, and I hoped to high hell that he would agree. I remember him telling me how lonely he was during this time, and yet how hard it was for him to change Edward. He didn't want to, but because Elizabeth seen something in him, he did it for her. Hopefully now, he will do it for me.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

A week had passed since I talked to Carlisle, and I was becoming bored with sitting at home during the day. Edward was back in school for his senior year without Charles and he was struggling with a deep depression.

I had attended the funeral with Edward, and held him while he cried into my shoulder for his lost friend. And I knew I would be holding on to him again as his parents fell ill with the flu. I just hoped he wouldn't have to suffer through the sickness as well.

It was nearing twilight when Carlisle came home from his shift at the hospital. His face was haggard, and lined with worry.

"How are things over there?" I asked, though I had a feeling that the news would be bad.

"It's getting worse. We had twenty more people come in with symptoms of the flu. I'm at a loss on what to do for them." He sat down heavily on the couch, and ran his hands over his face.

"I know it's hard Carlisle, but this must happen. There is just nothing we can do for them. Why don't you-." I was cut off by someone pounding on the door.

"Bella!" It sounded like Edward. I ran to the door and opened it to find him standing there panting.

"Edward? What's wrong?" I asked in a panic.

"It's my parents. They both are ill and can't get out of the house. Is Carlisle home? Can you both come over and help them. Please!" His eyes were wide, he was scared.

"Of course. Bella, go get my bag." Carlisle ordered.

I ran up the stairs to his room and grabbed the medical bag that was on the desk. When I got back downstairs he was waiting for me in the foyer.

"Come on, we must hurry. Hopefully we can get them to the hospital in time."

Thankfully Edward drove the car over instead of taking the streetcars. Carlisle got in the drivers seat and proceeded to push the car to its limit racing down the streets towards Edwards home.

When we arrived, the front door was wide open, so we raced inside. Edwards father was lying on the couch and Elizabeth was on the floor in the kitchen.

I rushed to Elizabeth and felt for a pulse. She was still alive, but barely. She was covered in a layer of sweat, and was shaking. I could feel the heat from the fever without even touching her.

"Carlisle? How's Edward over there?" He didn't answer, so I looked over to him. He was kneeling on the floor and shaking his head.

"We were too late for him. How is Elizabeth?" Carlisle asked.

"She's barely hanging on. Edward, how long have your parents been experiencing the symptoms?" I asked.

"Uh… about a week and half. I've been trying to convince them to go to the hospital, but they wouldn't. I should have forced them. This is all my fault." Edward cried out.

"Carlisle, I need to talk to you outside please. Right now!" I said, my tone demanding.

"Edward, get a cool rag and try to cool your mom's forehead down. We will be right back." I ordered him and followed Carlisle outside.

"Carlisle, have you given more thought to our discussion? Now is the time to make the decision. I must tell Edward of our future if you are agreeable. And I must warn you, if Elizabeth wakes up, she is going to beg you. So you might as well tell me now, so I can have this conversation with Edward tonight."

"Bella, I have thought about it. As much as I wouldn't wish this existence on anyone else, I understand your plight, and you have proven to me that you speak the truth about the future. I'm going to take it on good faith that you will continue to stay by my side as my family and I will agree to change you both."

"Thank you Carlisle. And I promise we will all be a family. I must tell you now, that I am also Edward's singer, and I will need you to change me before him. Otherwise he will kill me in his newborn haze. We will make the arrangements later."

"Fair enough." Was his reply as he went back in the house.

Edward was leaning heavily against the door to the kitchen when I got back in the house.

"Edward? Carlisle is going to take your mom to the hospital. I wanted to hang back with you and talk to you, and then we can make our way over. Carlisle will also make arrangements for your dad."

"Okay." His voice seemed distant, and he watched as Carlisle picked his mom up off the floor and carried her to the car.

"Come sit with me please." I led him to the sitting room, out of sight of his father's body.

"I have not told you everything about me, and for that I am sorry. I didn't want to tell you until it was time. And now, it is time you knew everything. I have been so worried that you will not accept what I am about to tell you, and that you would leave me.

I am not from this time, and I did not come from New York. I met you in 2005, in Forks, Washington, and you were a vampire. We are mates, and I was your singer. Carlisle changed you when you were dying of this flu, because your mother begged him to.

There was an accident on my eighteenth birthday and it caused you to leave me. I was devastated and a few months after you left I went to your house and ran across another vampire that knew Carlisle, and as a favor to him, he sent me back to this time period to meet you so we could fall in love and have a second chance. So that is why I am here. We are fated to be together, and Carlisle has agreed to change us both so we can spend forever together."

I took a deep breath and waited. I watched as his face went through a myriad of emotions. The most prominent was confusion. I sat silently, afraid to move while he processed this information.

"So, you're telling me that vampires are real, and we are about to become one? Why didn't you tell me this before… before I fell in love with you?" He was angry now.

"I couldn't tell you Edward. There are rules, and if it were found out that humans knew, we would all have died anyways. We will have a good life. We will not be the monsters that vampires are portrayed as. Carlisle is a vampire, and a doctor."

"How can that be? Don't they drink blood? Is that why he is a doctor? To have a food source?"

"No Edward. Carlisle does not drink human blood and neither will we. We will survive on the blood of animals. Please Edward, don't be angry. I love you to the depths of my soul, and I am promising you a good life."

He sat there silent again. I knew he was going to have a hard time swallowing this information, and it was going to be hard for him.

"I need time Bella. I need to think about this and I need answers. But right now, I can't even think about this. I need to go be with my mother."

He didn't even look at me as he got up and walked out the front door. I sat there shocked. Was this the end? Again? What am I supposed to do now?

I went out and covered Edward Sr. with a sheet, and hoped that someone would be by soon to collect his body. I didn't know if I should wait here, or if I should head towards the hospital.

My question was answered when the phone rang a while later.

"Hello, Masen residence, Bella speaking."

"Yes hello Bella, this is Thomas. Carlisle asked me to call you and tell you that someone from the hospital would be by to collect Mr. Masen, and you didn't need to wait. Just leave the door unlocked and he said to go home. Your Edward arrived at the hospital and is by his mother's side, and there wasn't anything you could do at the moment. He said he would bring Edward home with him."

"Thank you Thomas." I said into the phone as I hung up.

I checked everything over, and then left the house. Leaving the door unlocked as instructed. I took the empty streetcar back to the house, and sat there in the living room and waited for Carlisle and Edward to arrive.

Hours had passed when I finally heard the door open. I didn't look up, I kept my head down and waited for my fate. Would Edward want to hear the entire story, or would he decide to leave me?

"Bella." Edward said as he sat down next to me and took my hand in his. His tone was soft, which surprised me.

"I'm sorry for being angry with you. Carlisle explained some things to me, and I have a better understanding, but I would really like to hear the rest of it. Tell me everything. Carlisle said my mother is not going to make it because the fever is too far-gone, so I need to make a decision."

I took a steadying breath, and then told him the entire story from my fist day in Forks, all the way up to the point where he left me. I told him of the family we would have, leaving out the details of their changes, he didn't need to know that until it was time.

"So is that why my reaction to you was so strong when we met at the market? Why every time I touch you an electric shock runs through me? Because we are mates?" He asked after a while.

"Yes Edward. It is our bodies way of letting us know it is right." I smiled slightly at him.

"Then I will agree to change with you. I love you more than anything else, and I couldn't imagine being without you ever."

I was elated that this wasn't going to be hard on us. And I hoped that he wouldn't regret his decision later down the road. Now I knew what he must have gone through when I begged him to change me all those times. I could appreciate his worries now.

I laughed at myself, and Carlisle and Edward both looked at me with worried gazes.

"Sorry, I just remember all the times Edward tried to talk me out of changing back then. And I can now see his point of view. I'm worried that you will regret this decision down the road and hate me for it. It is the same thing you used to tell me." I said to Edward.

His only response was to lean in and kiss me on the lips.

We fell asleep on the couch cuddled together, waiting for the morning to come so we could go check on Elizabeth. When Carlisle woke us up, I made a quick breakfast for Edward and I and the three of us headed towards the hospital.

Elizabeth was in the same state as yesterday. Her fever was still too high and she was soaked in sweat. But she was stirring as I took her hand in mine.

"Bella?" She whispered.

"Yes Elizabeth, I'm here. Edward is here too." I told her gently.

"I'm dying Bella. I feel my life slipping away from me. I should have listened to Edward when he told us to go to the hospital before it got bad. I thought it would be like any other flu and we would get over it in a week. I didn't know, and I am so sorry. Please Bella, please promise that you will take care of my son, that if he falls ill you will save him. I know that you know how to save him. I've always known that you were different. Please love him, never give up on him. He's just a boy."

Her voice trailed off, and she started to shake violently as the fever took back over. And I couldn't help but cry for her. Edward came over and took my hand as a tear slipped down his cheek as well.

"I love you mother, I will always remember you and I will never forget you." Edward whispered into her ear as he took her hand. A few minutes passed, and her breathing stilled and I knew she was gone.

We sat there for a while, and just held each other. Carlisle came over and placed a hand on her forehead.

"I promise Elizabeth, I promise to keep them both safe." He whispered down to her, and I knew he would uphold that promise.

"Come on Edward and Bella. We must make our preparations. Bella, I would like to try the morphine if you are still willing." Carlisle's tone was that of a doctor, I knew he would need to detach himself from the situation at hand. Otherwise he would have a hard time dealing with it.

"Yes Carlisle, I am willing to let you try. If it works, then it will be the best for everyone else as well." I told him with certainty.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

It took Carlisle three days to muster up the strength to be mentally prepared for this next step in our lives. He put notice in at the hospital that he was going to travel farther west to try to outrun the flu. He also told them that I would be travelling with him to assist him.

Edward wasn't even thought of by anyone, he was now seventeen, and his parent's dead. There was no need to worry about a child since he was considered an adult.

"Bella, I have everything ready and set up in my office if you are ready. Edward, this is going to be a painful process, and you may want to go to your home and pack what you want to bring along with you. I can join you once Bella is situated."

"I'll stay for now, then we can go together. I don't know what I will need." Edward said, while staring into my eyes.

I leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"I'm ready Carlisle, there is no point in prolonging this." I said while I looked at him so he knew I was ready.

We followed him upstairs and I laid on the bed while Carlisle drew the morphine into the two needles.

"Alright, here we go."

He pushed the needles into my neck, waited a few moments then bit me on both wrists. When he backed away with blood dripping from the side of his mouth and a look of terror in his eyes, Edward came into my view.

Edward's lips pressed into mine, then his whispered words of love rang through my ears as I drifted off as the morphine entered my system, and then the fire raged through me...


	6. Edward 1918-19

*Carlisle's story is NOT canon. I am using my creative license here for it. *

This is my last completed chapter… I am desperately working on getting the next one finished. But Alice is having a real hard time telling me her story.

It may be a while before it gets to you, but I promise, it is about three quarters done! I only have 2 more sections to write for it actually.

This chapter has not been edited. Any mistakes are mine. I am still looking for a Beta… Someone with a bit of experience.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Edward POV 1918-1919:

I watched as Carlisle sunk his teeth into Bella's wrists, then I comforted her by whispering my love to her as she drifted off under the morphine's influence. She looked peaceful, as if she was sleeping. I would have sat there and watched her the whole time, but I knew there were things that I must do to prepare for my change.

"How long do you think she will be under Carlisle? Do we have time to go to my house and collect my things?" I asked as he stood there staring at Bella.

"We should, but I need to monitor Bella for a little while longer. I've never changed anyone before, so I wanted to make sure that she would be okay before we leave her. From my understanding the change should be complete in three days."

I nodded and sat in the chair beside the bed. I just wanted to get to my house and see what I could salvage before the city erupts with looters. What would I need to bring? What would I want to take? So many questions.

"Hmm…" Carlisle's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"What is it?" I asked in alarm.

"It seems that the morphine is working. I hope she isn't feeling any pain. We speculated that it would either keep her under and she wouldn't feel the burn, or that the morphine would paralyze her and make her unable to scream in pain. I just wish I knew what she was experiencing."

"She looks like she is sleeping. I hope she isn't in any pain." I told him the obvious.

"Yes. Why don't we leave her for now, I'm fairly certain she will be safe, and go to your house. It's late enough no one will see us."

"Okay." I sighed and stood. It was now or never. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face the demons I was carrying.

I still felt a heavy guilt for not forcing my parents to go to the hospital when they started showing signs of being sick. I felt guilt for Charles as well. But I knew I was going to need to let it go. There wasn't anything I could about it now.

Carlisle and I took my parents car back to their house. It was an eerie feeling pulling up to the driveway and seeing the house so dark. I pushed the fear aside and walked through the front door. The house has only been shut up for four days but it smelled of dust.

I couldn't even look at the couch in the living room as we passed the room. I figured it would be best to start in my father's office.

"Carlisle? What would I need to get from this room?" I asked, as I was unsure what would be important in here.

"I'm not really sure Edward. Perhaps the deed to the house, and any other legal documents."

I looked for the papers and found everything pertaining to the house. Did I want to keep the house? Would I ever return here? Again there were so many questions I just couldn't answer right now. I put the papers in a box and would decide later on.

I knew I wasn't going to need anything from the kitchen or dining room, after all I was to become a vampire, and those items would be useless.

Carlisle followed me upstairs as I went into my room, I decided to pack most of my clothes, and a few of my mementos, like my signed baseball from the last game my father and I attended together. I also took the pictures I had of my parents.

I went to reach for the blanket that was on my bed when Carlisle stopped me.

"Edward, you wont need any bedding. Vampires do not sleep."

"Oh." It was the only thing I could say.

I moved out of my room and went into my parent's room. I felt like an intruder in their private space, and I paused when I got into the room.

"Edward, it's alright. Perhaps you would like to keep your mothers jewelry." I nodded in reply and cautiously stepped over to my mother's vanity table.

I didn't look inside; I just picked up the box and placed it into the box of my collected items. I looked around, and then noticed my fathers pocket watch on his side table. I put it in my box as well.

I took one last look around the room, and didn't see anything else that would be useable or important to me so I turned to find Carlisle standing in the doorway.

"I think that is everything. Everything else can stay here." I told him and he nodded.

"Alright, if you're sure. I think it is time to get back home and check on Bella."

With that, excitement ran through me. Would she look different yet? Would she still appear to be sleeping, or would she be screaming in agony? Carlisle told me it was a painful process, and that it felt like you were burning alive.

I followed Carlisle out of the house, locking the door behind me, and hoping looters would not break into the house. I placed the small box on the back seat and allowed Carlisle to drive us back to his house.

"Carlisle, tell me about the time you are from, and tell me about your change." I asked curiously. The silence was too much all of a sudden.

"I was born in London in the 1640's, I don't recall the year or month, but dates were not recorded like they are now. My father was a priest, and believed in an ancient evil roaming the world. Of course he was talking about vampires. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and become a priest as well, and also to join his crusade in hunting these evil beings. I was young, just entering my twenties and I didn't have the same beliefs that he had.

"One night, the town we lived in was in chaos, I didn't understand what was happening. My father burst into the house, thrusting wooden stakes and spears at me. He told me that it was time to fight, that the evil had come calling. I followed him outside blindly, I was sure that he had lost his mind, but I would entertain him because he was my father.

"There was movement outside, but it was happening so fast, I couldn't tell what was going on. People were running around and screaming, and then all of a sudden my father rushed off our porch and into the mass of people. That's when I seen the ghostly image of someone.

"They were a blur of movement up until they stopped right in front of my father. He threw his hands in the air, and screamed something, and then all of a sudden he was flying through the air. He landed at the base of a tree with his limbs bent in all different directions. I didn't need to go over to know his fate. And in a way I was glad that he was dead.

"I was torn on whether or not to jump into this odd fray, or to run and hide back in my house. I didn't know what these things were. The decision was made for me when one of them came up to me and grabbed me by my arm.

"I was dragged back forcefully. Then they bit me, the pain was unimaginable, I felt them sucking the life out of me, and then all of a sudden it stopped. I was too drunk on the pain to notice what was going on. I was tossed aside and left there, and the fire began to ravage my body. I managed to crawl myself to our cellar way, and rolled myself down the stairs. I crawled into the pile of our potato crop and buried myself there.

"I wasn't aware of anything else until suddenly the pain stopped and I opened my eyes again. I could see and smell everything. When I left the cellar it was night, and there were a few people walking around. I suddenly felt a fire in my throat and wanted to go after the people. I'm not sure how I managed it, but I was able to run away from them.

"I went into the woods, and stayed there for a long time. By this time I realized what I had become, and tried everything to end my life. Nothing worked of course, I even tried to starve myself, but then suddenly a deer crossed my path, and without thinking I hunted it and drank from it. That's when I realized I could survive on animals, and have done so since."

"I sat there silently for a few minutes, absorbing this information. Could I be like Carlisle and never taste human blood? Would it be possible to live his way of life?

"Wow, Carlisle, though I understand that your story is sad, it is truly amazing at the same time. Tell me, what you did after all of that, please."

"I think we will save that for later." He said as we pulled up in front of the house.

My nerves shook as I looked up into the dark house. How was Bella doing? When will Carlisle change me?

We walked into the house and it was still silent inside. I looked to Carlisle for direction, but he was already walking up the stairs, so I followed him.

Bella was still lying on the bed, seemingly peaceful and at rest. However, her breathing seemed labored.

"Is she alright?" I asked, worried that things might be worse than they seemed.

"Yes, she is fine. She is well underway. See how her skin is just slightly paler? I'm expecting her to finish her transition right on schedule, but we will see."

I was ready to join her, but I was nervous as well.

"I don't mean to rush you, or sound too eager here, but I am ready whenever you are." I told him as I walked closer to Bella's side.

Reaching out, I touched her cheek, and it seemed like she knew it was I. Her head moved slightly into my touch, but then her breathing became harder and I let go.

"We must wait until tomorrow Edward. Bella's directive was to wait two days before changing you. So I will do as she said and wait. The hope was to have her wake well before you, so I had time to calm her and help her hunt before you woke. That way she would be of sound mind to help you."

That made me happy, that she would want to help me through those first moments.

"Then what should I do in the meantime? I'm a little lost here." I admitted.

"Bella said she left you some food in the icebox, why don't you heat it up in the oven, have some dinner, then get some rest. You wont be resting for a very long time after tomorrow." He said with a wry smile on his face.

I went downstairs and did as he suggested. The meal was perfect, and tasted better than anything I have had before. I realized then that Bella always cooked food differently than my mother, and perhaps that was because she was from a different time. I finished my meal and headed to Bella's room to shower.

I walked back into Carlisle's office to check on Bella one last time. And she was still in the same position as I left her in. This didn't seem so bad. Carlisle was sitting at his desk reading a rather thick book and writing things on paper.

"Ah Edward, I'm just working on some research while I wait for Bella to make any changes in her progress. If I'm being honest, I'm waiting for the screaming." He said, looking over to Bella.

"Oh? Is it possible that she will just remain in this state the entire time?" I asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, I've never heard of anyone using morphine before, so this is the experiment. I did want to ask if you wanted me to use the morphine on you as well?"

I looked towards Bella, taking in her still peaceful state. Do I want to risk it?

"Yes, I think I will also take the risk of the unknown and use the morphine as well."

"Very well. Why don't you get some rest, and I will see you in the morning." He said, and then bent back over his book.

Morning dawned, and I woke in a strange bed. It took a few minutes to remember that I was in Carlisle's home and slept in Bella's bed. I stayed there for a few moments, and then remembered what was happening in the room across the hall.

When I got out of bed, a strong wave of dizziness washed over me, and I had to grab the wall for support. Sweat beaded on my forehead and the back of my neck. What was happening?

I stumbled out of the room and across the hall. When I entered, Carlisle's head shot up from his book.

"Edward? Are you all right?" He asked, alarm clear in his tone.

"I'm not sure. When I got up I was dizzy, then the sweat came. Do you know what is going on?" My breathing was labored, and I felt like I was going to fall to the floor.

"Oh, it seems that you have contracted the flu. Come, we mustn't wait." He rushed out of his chair, took two syringes out of his desk and walked towards me.

He put his arm around me and walked me back to Bella's room.

"We're going to start your change now. I have a feeling that Bella will be waking tonight instead of tomorrow. So I would rather have you well underway before that happens, that way she wont be tempted by you."

"Okay, if you think that is the best course of action." I said in a haze.

Carlisle lowered me down on to the bed and removed all the covers, tossing them on the floor.

"Edward, I'm going to inject you with the morphine, then just before you go under I'll inject you with my venom, the same way as I did with Bella. Then, I'll see you on the other side."

"Okay, see you later." I mumbled to him, suddenly feeling like I was falling.

I felt the pinch of the needles in my neck and a few minutes later I felt completely numb. I didn't feel Carlisle as he lifted my arms and bit my wrists, but I did see him do it.

As I started to drift off, I felt an intense burning start to travel up my arms, and then the morphine seemed to pull me under.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

I didn't know if it had been minutes, hours, months, years, but when I surfaced from a seemingly peaceful rest, I was on fire. My entire body burned. I tried to lift my arm to rub the other, but I couldn't. It was as if I was strapped down and chained to where I was, wherever that may be. I couldn't remember.

I laid there, panting in my discomfort and the pain. I could slightly feel the rise and fall of my chest. I tried to open my eyes, but they were stuck as well.

I drifted off again, and dreamed of a brown haired girl, and a feeling of familiarity hit me. She was smiling at me, and leaning against a wall watching me.

When I woke again I could hear voices.

' _I wonder how much longer? He's already into the second day now, and I woke up rather quickly. This anticipation may kill me._ ' I heard a female, but I couldn't place the voice.

' _I hope the morphine is doing a better job then it did before.'_ This time it was a male, but again I couldn't place it.

Taking stock of myself, I realized that the pain seemed less, but there was an intense burning in my head. It felt like a headache but different still. My limbs seemed to be slowly coming away from the burning sensation, they did feel cooler, but I couldn't move them yet.

Then suddenly, the pain burst into my chest like liquid acid, it was burning me so intensely, surely I was dying. My fingers twitched at the sensation, and I heard the females voice again.

' _Don't be afraid Edward. I'm here my love, it's almost over now.'_

' _Shit! He probably can't hear me, I hope he will not regret this decision, and if not, I hope he will forgive me. I cant live without him again.'_

Who's voice was that? It seemed so familiar, but I just couldn't think!

My heart started to pound in a furious rhythm. It felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest. The burning seemed to be concentrated in that area. The burning sensation was also leaving my head, but left a buzzing noise in place.

' _It's almost finished. I hope he remains calm.'_ The male voice said.

A warm hand took hold of mine then, and I froze. An electric current seemed to be running through me now, and I wasn't sure if I was safe in this place.

My heart came to a shuddering stop after a few minutes and my breath froze in my chest. The hand that was holding mine tightened its grip on my hand, and I was instantly wary. I took a breath, and when I did I was assaulted with the smell of vine-ripened strawberries and sun warmed freesias. This scent comforted me, and gave me the sense of home.

I opened my eyes after a few moments and looked in the direction of the scent, and was met with the blood red irises of a familiar face. I knew this face, and I loved her. As my eyes cleared and my mind raced, I reached out to her.

"Bella" her name came out of my mouth like a prayer, and I placed my hand on her cheek in a familiar way. Her eyes closed and I was transported back in time to when we met and the feelings it awoke in me.

' _I love you so much Edward.'_ Her voice was familiar to me now, I knew who she was.

"I love you too Bella." I responded and her eyes opened wide as she stared at me.

"You heard me?" she asked, shocked.

"Yes. I don't remember ever being deaf." I told her.

"No Edward. I didn't say that out loud. It was in my thoughts."

"What? Your thoughts? How can that be?" I asked of her, and she let out a peal of laughter that sounded like bells.

"You probably don't remember much from our conversation when you were human, but let's go hunt and then we will sit and talk for a while." She spoke to me, and then looked behind her.

"Carlisle, I know we just went yesterday, but would you please accompany us again today? I would feel more comfortable with an extra pair of arms."

I looked in the direction that she spoke and seen a man with blonde hair. I didn't know this stranger and ripped my hand away from Bella's grasp and flew off the bed, crouching down in front of Bella and hissing loudly.

"She's mine!" I growled out. And the man put his hands up as if in surrender.

"Edward, son, I mean you no harm, nor would I ever dream of harming your mate." He said calmly.

"Edward, don't you remember Carlisle? Dr. Cullen?" Bella's tone was soothing.

I thought for a minute, and fuzzy images appeared in my head. Then I remembered him, and I felt foolish.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me Carlisle." I said as I bowed my head in apology.

"It's all right, I completely understand. But yes, lets all go hunting. It's fairly dark out so we should be able to avoid being seen."

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Carlisle led us through the city in the back alleys, avoiding main streets. It seemed like a waste of time to go this roundabout way, but ultimately it didn't take us long to reach the nearest forest.

' _Hold your breath, hold your breath.'_ Bella was repeating in her mind on the entire run. No one told me to, but I figured I would follow her lead and do as she was.

Running was an exhilarating feeling, and I really didn't notice the speed at which we were traveling. I could see everything just as clear as if I was standing still, except it was sharper in clarity.

When we stopped at the edge of the forest, I took a breath and was assaulted with an array of different smells, some of them good, some absolutely horrid. There were so many it was hard to separate them.

"Edward, when we get further into the forest, you wont be able to smell anything from the city. I'm sure your sense of smell is on overdrive right now." Carlisle spoke, and he was right, I was confused by all the smells.

"Come on, lets get moving." Bella grabbed my hand and pulled me with her. When our hands touched I was instantly distracted by the sensation that was creeping up my arm.

"What is that?" I asked her, as I stared at our entwined hands. She looked back and smiled, then looked at our hands.

"That is our connection, it's just our bodies reacting to being in contact with our mate." She told me with a look of love and longing in her eyes.

' _I hope he remembers, and I hope after this hunt he will not regret the decision.'_ She thought to herself.

When the thoughts of others entered my mind it was disorienting. I left Bella's thoughts alone, hopefully in time I would regret this decision, it was in fact too soon to tell.

Bella started to pull me again, and this time I followed her. We ran for a few minutes until we reached an outcropping of rocks. It seemed as if we were on top of a mountain as I could see the vast forest that stretched out in all directions. I couldn't even see the city. How far did we travel?

"Carlisle? How far did we go?" I asked with great curiosity.

"About six hundred miles north. We're in Canada."

"Oh, wow." I was speechless for a moment.

As I stood there marveling at the distance traveled, and the seemingly endless forest all around, a burning sensation began to develop in my throat. I put my hand on my neck and rubbed trying to get the burn to go away.

"That's not going to help. It's time we go find something tasty." Bella squeezed my hand, getting me to focus on her.

I watched as she sniffed the air for a few moments.

"Edward, smell the air. What do you smell?" She asked.

I sniffed, and was assaulted again with various things. The air was crisp; I could smell the pine trees, the decaying leaves and pine needles on the ground. But then, off in the distance I could smell something else. It was musky, and smelled warm.

"I can smell something to the West, it smells musky and warm." She nodded in approval.

"Well, let's get off this rock face and go find out what it is." She smiled and then a predatory look crossed her face. I was aroused immediately, but I didn't understand why.

Bella led me down the West side of the mountain and into the valley below. She stopped suddenly and took my hand in hers.

"Let everything fall away Edward. Shut your mind down and use your senses. I'm going to stay here until you've hunted. The first time I came out here with Carlisle I almost attacked him when he approached my kill. So take your fill, then come back to me."

I was instantly worried, how would I find her?

"How will I find you? Won't I get lost?"

"No, you won't, our connection will not allow you to not find me. Just follow your instincts." I nodded at her, still worried.

"Go Edward. I will be right here."

I closed my eyes, letting everything in my mind fall away. My body reacted instantly and I took off in the direction of the musky scent. As I got closer, I could hear several heartbeats. I slowed my pace when the sound got louder. Just on the other side of some bushes there were six large elk grazing. I watched them for a moment, and then suddenly I lowered myself into a crouch.

My eyes locked onto the largest of them and I leaped at it. Landing squarely on its back I let myself swing around to take the elk to the ground. Then my teeth sunk into its neck. The blood poured down my throat freely. When the flow slowed I began to pull harder until there was nothing. I let the body of the elk go, and stood up.

Still lost in a haze, I followed the scent of the others. I found them quickly and took down another one. The blood tasted a little sweeter this time, and didn't seem to last as long as the first.

I stood when I was done with the elk and let the haze fall away. Taking stock of myself I noticed I had some blood splatter on my shirt. I needed to get back to Bella. It seemed to be the only thought in my head.

As I ran back in the direction I came from following what seemed to be my own scent, I didn't think about the two animals I killed and left behind.

' _Here he comes, I was beginning to worry that he ran off.'_ Did she really think I would run away from her?

She came into view a few seconds later, and she was indeed in the same spot as I left her in.

"Of course I came back to you, I wouldn't dream of running away, well, not unless you were with me." I smirked at her as I came to a stop in front of her.

"Well, I hope you two decide to stay and not go away." Carlisle's voice came from above us. Then he jumped out of the tree that Bella was standing under.

"No Carlisle, I made you a promise, and I intend on keeping it." Bella told him.

"Now that Edward is back, I'm going to hunt quickly and then we can get back home before daylight comes." And with that, Bella was off like a shot quickly disappearing into the trees.

"How was your hunt Edward?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"It was rather easy, I didn't have any trouble taking down two elk. But now that I think about it, it is a little disconcerting to be able to take down an animal that is twice your size. I just left them there on the ground. Should I go back and bury them?" I asked at the end, my thoughts and feelings catching up with me now that the rush of the hunt was over.

"No Edward, other predators in the forest will eat the meat. And don't feel guilty about it; it won't help you in the long run. Bella had a hard time yesterday as well. As did I when I took down my first deer. I think it is a normal thing for us to feel, so please again just put it in the back of your mind, it is the only way we will survive."

I nodded at him, but stayed silent. Does this make me a monster? Or is it just like a human who hunts to eat the meat to survive? Knowing that the other animals will consume the meat does make me feel a little better about the loss of life in the long run, but I think I will need more time to adjust to this way of thinking.

' _I hope he doesn't dwell on it too long, otherwise he will have a hard time adjusting.'_

I looked at him for a long moment, trying to decide if I should answer him or not, but he was right. A few moments later, the air around me shifted and my skin tingled. What was this? Then a rustling in the trees alerted me to someone coming.

I growled and began to crouch down, but then suddenly Bella appeared out of the bushes to my left. I stopped my growl and stood back up. She was also splattered with blood, and I didn't feel so bad that I had also made a mess on myself.

"Carlisle, were you ever this messy?" She asked him, frowning down at her dress.

"Oh yes. It was horrible and much worse. You're better off throwing your clothes away rather than trying to save them."

"Perhaps I should borrow some pants instead so I don't ruin anymore of my dresses. I do miss the convenience of pants." She said back with a smile.

"Come on, let's get back home, we have to start making preparations." Carlisle said as he turned in the other direction and began running.

I took Bella's hand and together we ran behind Carlisle.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

The sky was just starting to get light when we got back to the city. We took the back alleys again to get home. We walked in and I was assaulted with the most delicious scent. I didn't know what it was, but my vision became sharper all of a sudden and I tensed myself in preparation to hunt down whatever it was.

"Edward? What are you doing?" Bella asked me as she came and stood in front of me.

"You don't smell that? What is it? I have to have it!" I said through gritted teeth.

I watched as she sniffed the air, and then laughed.

"It's my human scent Edward. This house is saturated in it. At least me being your singer didn't change." She said in wonderment.

"My singer? What is that?" I asked curiously, and then a whisper of memory flashed through my mind, but I couldn't catch it.

"Well, I was told it was rare, but sometimes a human will smell better than the others, and you wouldn't be able to control yourself. You would hunt this person down without though and drain them. When we met in Forks I was that person to you, and you almost killed our entire biology class to have me. Your control was truly tested that day, and you fought with yourself for an hour. After that you wound up leaving for a week and went to your 'extended family' in Alaska. When you came back you tried to ignore me, but it didn't last long. Not only was I your singer, I was also your mate.

"You battled everyday, but eventually you were able to get used to my scent and not want to kill me quite as badly. It was a struggle for you, and for me as well. This is why I had Carlisle change me before he changed you. I didn't want you to wake up before me and kill me. But when I realized that now you can hear my thoughts, I wondered if I wouldn't have been your singer either. But this right here showed that that didn't change.

"I'm trying to understand why you can hear my thoughts now, when you couldn't in Forks. I'm sure we will figure it out later."

I sat for a long moment thinking about this. My feelings for her were so strong I couldn't imagine myself wanting to harm her.

Someone approaching the house interrupted my thoughts their mind was frantic.

' _I hope he is still here, I don't know where else to go if he isn't. Please be home Dr. Cullen!'_

"Carlisle, someone is coming looking for you." I told him, and Bella's eyes widened.

"Quickly, you two must go upstairs and stay there. Go into my office." His tone was severe, and hard.

We made it to the top of the stairs just as there was a frantic knock on the door. Bella pulled me into the office just as Carlisle opened the door, but it was too late. The smell from the human instantly saturated the house.

I tensed as my throat instantly burned me. The smell was wonderful and warm, and promised to douse the flames. I went to reach for the doorknob, but Bella grabbed my arm and spun me away from the door.

I looked into her eyes and they were black as pitch. Why were they black? What was going on?

"Bella, your eyes. Why are they black?" I asked her alarmed.

"Because I am struggling too Edward. You can't eat the visitors!" She hissed at me, and I was alarmed at the sound.

"Your eyes are black too Edward, did you notice how your eyesight got sharper when you caught the scent? That's what happens when you hunt, your eyes turn black, they also turn black depending on your emotions or if you're thirsty."

"Oh." I tried to calm myself, but it wasn't working. I pulled my arm out of her grasp and headed for the door again, but this time she grabbed me and flung me across the room and into Carlisle's desk chair. It shattered under the force.

"Listen to me Edward. That person down there has a family, he is probably getting ready to start a family of his own. Think of him as a person; find it in yourself to let him go. Listen to his mind if you have to, but I cant calm myself if you're like this too." She pleaded with me.

' _What was that noise?'_ The human thought.

"Bella? Is everything all right?" Carlisle called up the stairs. And we both froze.

"Yes Carlisle, sorry about that, I fell into your chair while I was carrying this box." She said smoothly, but I could hear the underlying tension in her voice.

I stopped short hearing Carlisle's voice, remembering where I was.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I don't know what came over me." I told her, lowering my head in apology.

"Edward, don't be sorry. We're both new to this life, and it is understandable for us both to struggle with this. Also, you were still on the hunt for my ghost scent. I understand your struggle. It's hard to be here with the lingering of our human scents."

"But still." She cut me off with a kiss to my cheek.

"No Edward, it is going to take time to gain control, and we will work on it together. Carlisle will understand about the chair, there is no need to apologize. I'm sure he would rather it be his chair and not the human. Listen, he's leaving now, and we got through it."

I smiled at her, of course she would protect me, and I knew I would do the same for her. And then I heard Carlisle's light footsteps coming up the stairs. His eyes were wide when he opened the door to his office and he froze in the doorway.

"What happened here?" He asked, shocked at the damage.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, we were both struggling with the human in the house. Your chair was the casualty in the struggle."

"Well, no matter, the chair is replaceable. I'm glad that you two did so well. Do you think you will be fine here for a few hours? I need to go tend to an emergency at the hospital, and then we will sit down and talk. Perhaps while I am gone you can work on packing the house? It is time for us to move. It is too dangerous for us to linger here in the city."

"I think we will be fine, so go ahead and we will start packing up." Bella told him with a smile. Then he turned to me.

"Edward, it's all right son, I would much rather a broken chair than murder." He placed his hand on my shoulder briefly as he walked past me.

~~~~~~~~WSI~~~~~~~~

Ashland, Wisconsin:

Our move to Ashland was uneventful. In fact, we traveled the four hundred forty one miles overnight. I had never been out of Chicago in my life, so it was a little disconcerting at first. It was also a little confusing that we had traveled six hundred miles in about an hour while running, yet it took us just under six hours to travel the four hundred plus miles to our new home in the car.

Bella and I had strict rules for while we were living here. We were only allowed to leave in the dead of night, and we had to travel right into the woods, hunt, then come right home.

I was struggling with my mind reading during the day when the humans were awake. It was like a million bees swarming my head. The thoughts were loud, and I had a hard time separating them to be able to hear them.

We learned about Bella's shield one day when I had screamed out because the thoughts were so loud it actually felt painful. She rushed into the room and found me on the floor gripping my head in my hands. When she touched me, the thoughts went silent, and I was instantly worried that there was something wrong.

"Edward! What's the matter?" She spoke softly, but worriedly.

"The minds of all the humans, it's too loud. I need it to stop." I said through the pain.

And just like that, they were gone. I opened my eyes to find Bella staring at me in concentration.

"What did you do Bella?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure, behind my eyes I saw something that looked like a film covering myself, so I willed it to cover you too. Tell me what it did." She asked excitedly.

"All the voices stopped, I cant hear anything, not even you." I told her and she smiled.

"Well, that's interesting. Perhaps I can still keep myself silent from you when I want." She said with a sly grin.

"Please don't. Your mind is the only one I really want to hear." I told her seriously.

"Hmm." Was her reply.

"Come on, Carlisle should be home within the hour, lets go hunting." I knew being out in the wilderness would help calm my frayed nerves.

Hunting with Bella was always an experience. We learned that we both favored the mountain lion, something about the way they tasted. Watching her hunt and then taking down her prey made me want her in ways I couldn't really explain. I always found that I couldn't keep my hands off of her when she finished. And the same was for her.

We shared a lion once, a few weeks ago, and the experience was something I will never forget. Our eyes were locked as we both took the blood, and when we were finished I slammed her into the nearest tree and took her there, tearing her clothes from her body like a savage.

She must have been thinking the same thing as I watched her take her prey. As she left the elk where it was as she stalked me with a predatory gaze. Her mouth found mine quickly. Tasting the lingering blood on her tongue sent me into a frenzy. I went to pull her shirt off, but she stopped me.

"It's still light out Edward. We will need our clothes to get back home."

I slowed my movements and carefully removed our clothes. And her mind reeled. Hearing her thoughts as we made love in the forest drove me wild. It was hard to explain to her how it made me feel to hear her mind in these moments.

We made it back home just as Carlisle was getting home as well. He looked at the sky, and then looked at us.

"You're not supposed to be out here." He said calmly. But in his mind I could detect the hint of anger.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, the fault is mine. The thoughts were too much and I needed to hunt before I went crazy. We did find something out about Bella." His eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh? Do tell." He said.

"It appears that I can stop Edward from hearing thoughts, including mine. I had thought since he could hear me now, when he couldn't hear me in Forks that something went wrong. But I guess it is just different now." She told him, and he smiled at her.

"That is interesting. Perhaps we should hunt down my friend Eleazar, he was part of the Volturi Guard. He has a gift where he can sense the gifts of others, and I'm sure he could identify what your gift is Bella. But I don't know where he is now." He said thoughtfully.

"When we were in Forks, he lived in Alaska with Carmen and three others. I know one of them was named Tanya." Bella said with a hint of tension in her voice.

"I don't know that name, so I don't think he is there. But it wouldn't hurt to go see."

' _She hasn't lied to me yet; I should start trusting her more. I wonder if Eleazar was still hunting humans or if he switched to animals. I'd love to see my old friend.'_ His thoughts were contemplative, and it made me smile. I'd love to meet others of our kind.

"We can't go Carlisle. It's time to hear Esme's story and find her." Bella said, and Carlisle looked at her shocked.

"Alright…" He said cautiously, as he tensed.

What was going on? Who is Esme? I didn't remember mention of her….


End file.
